Art. 221.Kinds of Contempt

Article 221 opens the chapter’s contempt framework with the definition everything else builds on. Contempt of court is any act or omission that obstructs or interferes with the orderly administration of justice, or that impairs the dignity of the court or respect for its authority. That definition is broad by design — it covers courtroom outbursts and quiet defiance of a court order alike.

The article then draws the line that shapes every procedural rule that follows: contempt is either direct or constructive. Direct contempt happens where the judge can see and know about it firsthand — in the judge’s immediate presence — and Article 222 spells out what that includes. Constructive contempt is everything else: conduct that obstructs justice or defies the court’s authority outside the judge’s immediate view, defined by Article 224.

The distinction is not a matter of labeling. Because a judge has personal, firsthand knowledge of a direct contempt, Article 223 allows the judge to find guilt and impose punishment on the spot, after giving the person a chance to explain. Constructive contempt, occurring outside the judge’s presence, requires a different process — the notice and hearing set out in Article 225 — because the judge needs evidence of what happened, not just personal observation.