Rule 70A.Contempt in civil cases.

Last amended March 1, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026

In one sentenceRule 70A supplies a complete, self-contained procedure for civil and criminal contempt arising out of civil cases, distinguishing direct contempt punishable on the spot from constructive contempt that requires notice and a hearing, protecting an alleged contemnor's rights to mitigation, counsel, and a neutral judge, defining how contempt findings are reviewed on appeal, and now specifying that an unresolved contempt claim is treated as denied once every other claim in the case is finally resolved so the judgment can be appealed without waiting on it.

Full Text of Rule 70A

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(1) SCOPE. This rule shall apply to all civil or criminal contempt proceedings arising out of civil actions.

(2) DEFINITIONS.

(A) "Direct Contempt" means disorderly or insolent behavior or other misconduct committed in open court, in the presence of the judge, that disturbs the court's business, where all of the essential elements of the misconduct occur in the presence of the court and are actually observed by the court, and where immediate action is essential to prevent diminution of the court's dignity and authority before the public.

(B) "Constructive contempt" means any criminal or civil contempt other than a direct contempt.

(i) Misconduct of any person that obstructs the administration of justice and that is committed either in the court's presence or so near thereto as to interrupt, disturb, or hinder its proceedings, or

(ii) Willful disobedience or resistance of any person to a court's lawful writ, subpoena, process, order, rule, or command, where the dominant purpose of the finding of contempt is to punish the contemnor.

(D) "Civil contempt" means willful, continuing failure or refusal of any person to comply with a court's lawful writ, subpoena, process, order, rule, or command that by its nature is still capable of being complied with.

(b) Summary disposition of direct contempt proceedings.

(1) FINDING. The court may summarily find in contempt any person who commits a direct contempt, immediately notifying the person of its finding. The judge shall cause to be prepared a written order reciting the grounds for the finding, including a statement that the judge observed the conduct constituting the contempt. The order shall be signed by the judge and entered of record.

(2) MITIGATION. The court shall apprise the person of the specific conduct on which the finding is based and give that person a reasonable opportunity to present evidence or argument regarding excusing or mitigating circumstances. No decision concerning the punishment to be imposed shall be made during the course of the proceeding out of which the contempt arises, unless prompt punishment is imperative to achieve immediate vindication of the court's dignity and authority.

(3) SENTENCE. Unless it is pronounced immediately under subsections

(1) and (2) above, sentence shall be pronounced in open court, in the presence of the contemnor, within seven (7) days after the completion of the proceeding out of which the contempt arose.

(1) INITIATION OF ACTION. A proceeding based on constructive contempt, whether criminal or civil, shall be subject to the rules of civil procedure. The proceeding shall be initiated by the filing of a petition seeking a finding of contempt (the petition may be in the form of a counterclaim or cross-claim authorized under Rule 13). The petition shall provide the alleged contemnor with notice of the essential facts constituting the alleged contemptuous conduct.

(2) ISSUANCE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE. Upon the filing of a contempt petition, the clerk shall issue process in accordance with these rules, unless the petition is initiated by a counterclaim or cross-claim authorized under Rule 13. In any case, the person against whom the petition is directed shall be notified (1) of the time and place for the hearing on the petition and (2) that failure to appear at the hearing may result in the issuance of a writ of arrest pursuant to Rule 70A(d), to compel the presence of the alleged contemnor.

(3) RIGHT TO COUNSEL. In actions involving criminal contempt, upon the request of the alleged contemnor and proof of indigence, counsel shall be appointed to represent the alleged contemnor. This right to appointed counsel, once asserted, may be subsequently waived by the alleged contemnor in writing or on the record, after the court has ascertained that the alleged contemnor knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily desires to forgo the right to counsel. The court may, in its discretion, appoint advisory counsel to advise the alleged contemnor. (d) Failure to appear; issuance of writ of arrest. If an alleged contemnor who has been duly given notice of a contempt hearing fails to appear at the hearing, the court may, in its discretion, issue a writ of arrest to compel the presence of the alleged contemnor.

(e) Punishment for criminal contempt; commitment in cases of civil contempt.

(1) PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMINAL CONTEMPT. The court may not punish a person for criminal contempt under the provisions of this rule by imprisonment or a fine exceeding the maximum term of imprisonment or maximum amount of fine provided by law.

(2) COMMITMENT IN CASES OF CIVIL CONTEMPT. The court may order that a person who had been found to be in civil contempt be committed to the custody of the sheriff until that person purges himself or herself of the contempt by complying with the court's writ, subpoena, process, order, rule, or command.

(f) Disqualification of judge. If the alleged contumacious conduct involves gross disrespect directed toward the judge or a personal attack upon the character of the judge, or if the judge's own conduct is so related to the alleged contumacious conduct that the judge may have contributed to or may have been otherwise involved in it, then, unless the conduct constitutes a direct contempt and prompt punishment by the summary procedure of section (b) is imperative, the contempt proceeding shall be referred to another judge, who shall hold a

hearing to determine whether the person charged with contempt committed the contempt charged, and, if so, to impose punishment.

(g) Review of contempt proceedings.

(1) WHERE CONTEMNOR IS IN CUSTODY. An adjudication of contempt is reviewable by appeal if the person found in contempt is being held in custody pursuant to that adjudication, unless the writ of habeas corpus is an available remedy.

(2) WHERE CONTEMNOR IS NOT IN CUSTODY. If the person found in contempt is not being held in custody pursuant to the adjudication of contempt, the adjudication is reviewable by appeal.

(3) Unadjudicated Claim for Contempt. A pending claim for contempt is denied by operation of law upon the entry of an order that disposes of all other claims or the rights or liabilities of all parties. Therefore, such an order is a final judgment capable of supporting an appeal. If the order explicitly reserves ruling on a pending claim for contempt, then the order is not a final judgment.

(dc) District court rule. Rule 70A applies in the district courts.

Amendment History

[Added 6-21-94, eff. 7-11-94; Amended 01-30-2026, eff. 03-01-2026.]

Committee Comments

Several decisions of the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals mandated the application of certain Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure to contempt proceedings arising out of civil actions. See Baker v. Heatherwood Homeowners Association, 587 So.2d 938 (Ala.1991); Lee v. Lee, 608 So.2d 1383 (Ala.Civ.App. 1992); Ex parte Parcus, 615 So.2d 78 (Ala.1993); Ex parte DeMarco, 628 So.2d 828 (Ala.Civ.App.1993); and French v. Lyford, 636 So.2d 437 (Ala.Civ.App.1994). The Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure, particularly Rule 33, proved cumbersome when applied in civil cases, especially domestic relations cases, where contempt is routinely used as a method to enforce support and other familial or spousal obligations.

Rule 70A allows contempt proceedings arising out of civil actions (whether the actual contempt is civil or criminal) to be governed by the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, including the basic principles of notice pleading and liberal rights to the amendment of pleadings. At the same time Rule 70A was adopted, the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure were amended to limit the scope of those rules to contempt proceedings arising out of criminal actions.

Committee Comments to the Adoption of Rule 70A(g)(3)

Effective March 1, 2026

Rule 70A(g)(3) addresses problems that arise when unadjudicated claims for contempt still exist in the action after what otherwise seems to be a final order has been entered. Present caselaw holds that those orders are not final, and appeals from those orders are dismissed, see Decker v. Decker, 984 So. 2d 1216 (Ala. Civ. App. 2007), or remanded, see Starkey v. Starkey, 142 So. 3d 634 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013).

Rule 70A(g)(3) addresses the finality problem by providing that orders that would be final, but for the existence of unadjudicated claims for contempt, will now have the effect of denying all pending, unadjudicated claims for contempt. Those orders will now be final judgments. A party whose claim for contempt has been denied by operation of Rule 70A(g)(3) has the same right to raise any contempt issues in a postjudgment motion or on appeal from the final judgment as it would if the trial court had explicitly addressed and denied the claim for contempt. Cf. Rule 59.1, Ala. R. Civ. P., pursuant to which a party has the same right to appeal from the denial of its postjudgment motion, regardless of whether the denial is explicit or accomplished by court inactivity and the expiration of 90 days.

A court order that explicitly reserves ruling on pending claims for contempt is not a final judgment. A later order adjudicating all pending claims for contempt will create a final judgment, assuming all other claims against all parties have then been adjudicated.

Rule 70A(g)(3) has no effect on the current caselaw relating to claims for contempt filed after the entry of a final judgment. When a claim for contempt is filed alleging a violation of a previously entered final judgment, the claim is treated as part of a separate and independent proceeding that does not affect the finality of the previously entered final judgment. See Decker, 984 So. 2d at 1220.

Note from the reporter of decisions: The order adopting Rule 70A(g)(3), Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Committee Comments thereto, effective March 1, 2026, is published in that volume of Alabama Reporter that contains Alabama cases from __ So. 3d.

Plain-English Summary

Contempt proceedings tied to civil lawsuits do not fit neatly into either the civil or criminal rulebook, so Rule 70A builds its own framework. It starts by sorting contempt into categories. Direct contempt is misconduct the judge personally witnesses in open court that disrupts proceedings and demands an immediate response. Everything else is constructive contempt. Separately, contempt can be criminal, meaning its dominant purpose is punishment for defying the court or obstructing justice, or civil, meaning it targets a person's continuing refusal to comply with something they remain capable of complying with.

For direct contempt, the judge may make a finding on the spot, but must prepare a written order explaining the grounds and give the person a chance to explain or offer mitigating circumstances before punishment is decided, and any sentence not pronounced immediately must be announced in open court within seven days. Constructive contempt follows ordinary civil procedure instead: it begins with a petition (which can be folded into a counterclaim or cross-claim), the accused receives notice of the hearing and a warning that failing to appear can lead to a writ of arrest, and anyone facing criminal contempt who cannot afford a lawyer is entitled to appointed counsel, a right that can be waived only knowingly and voluntarily. If the misconduct at issue was directed at the judge personally, or if the judge's own conduct is tangled up in the alleged contempt, the matter must go to a different judge, unless it is direct contempt requiring instant action.

Punishment for criminal contempt cannot exceed whatever maximum sentence or fine the law otherwise allows, while a person found in civil contempt can be held until they purge themselves by complying with the underlying order. Contempt findings are reviewable on appeal, whether or not the contemnor is in custody, though a person in custody must use appeal rather than habeas corpus when appeal is available. The rule also resolves what happens when a contempt claim is still pending when the rest of the case wraps up: that unresolved claim is automatically treated as denied once an order disposes of everything else in the case, which makes that order a final, appealable judgment. The only way to avoid that automatic denial is for the court to explicitly state in its order that it is reserving judgment on the pending contempt claim. Rule 70A applies in the district courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between direct and constructive contempt under Rule 70A?

Direct contempt is misconduct the judge personally observes happening in open court that disrupts the proceedings, while constructive contempt covers every other kind of contemptuous conduct and must go through a notice-and-hearing process instead of being decided on the spot.

Can a judge punish someone for contempt immediately without a hearing?

Only for direct contempt witnessed by the judge, and even then the person must be told the specific conduct at issue and given a chance to explain or raise mitigating circumstances before punishment is imposed, except when immediate punishment is necessary to protect the court’s authority.

Is a person accused of contempt entitled to a lawyer?

In criminal contempt proceedings, an indigent person who requests counsel is entitled to appointed counsel, though that right can be waived knowingly and voluntarily after the court confirms the waiver is informed.

What happens if the judge is the target of the alleged contemptuous conduct?

Unless the conduct is direct contempt requiring immediate punishment, the matter must be referred to a different judge to hold the hearing and decide whether contempt occurred and what punishment, if any, to impose.

What happens to a pending contempt claim if the rest of the case is resolved without addressing it?

The unresolved contempt claim is automatically treated as denied once the order disposing of every other claim and party is entered, which makes that order final and appealable, unless the order explicitly states that it is reserving a ruling on the contempt claim.

Can someone still raise a contempt issue on appeal if the trial court never explicitly ruled on it?

Yes. Because the unaddressed contempt claim is treated as denied by operation of the rule, the party retains the same right to raise the contempt issue in a postjudgment motion or on appeal as if the court had expressly denied it.

Source & verification. The rule text, amendment history, and Committee Comments are reproduced verbatim from the official Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure (Ala. R. Civ. P. 70A). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Alabama (Ala. Const. amend. 328, § 6.11). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: civil contempt Alabamadirect vs constructive contemptcontempt proceeding procedurefinality of contempt orderswrit of arrest for contemptAla. R. Civ. P. 70A