Any person who, without good reason, refuses to obey any order of the court as provided in sections 25-21,121 to 25-21,148 shall be deemed guilty of a contempt of court, and shall be fined in any sum not exceeding five thousand dollars, and imprisoned in the county jail until he comply with said order, and shall be further liable for the damages resulting to any person on account of his refusal to obey such order.
§ 25-21,144.Quo warranto; disobedience of court order; liability; penalty.
Article 21: Special Proceedings and Actions · Not amended since original codification · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section makes it contempt of court, punishable by a fine of up to five thousand dollars and jail until compliance, for anyone to refuse without good reason to obey a court order issued under this quo warranto article, and it adds liability for any resulting damages.
Full Text of § 25-21,144
Source
R.S.1867, Code § 727, p. 519; R.S.1913, § 8351; C.S.1922, § 9303; C.S.1929, § 20-21,135; R.S.1943, § 25-21,144.
Plain-English Summary
Every order this article authorizes — to deliver books and papers, to post bond, to turn over corporate effects — depends on someone obeying it. Section 25-21,144 supplies the enforcement teeth. Any person who, without good reason, refuses to obey an order of the court made under Sections 25-21,121 to 25-21,148 is guilty of contempt of court.
The consequences stack. Contempt carries a fine of up to five thousand dollars and imprisonment in the county jail until the person complies with the order — an open-ended sentence tied to compliance rather than a fixed term. On top of the fine and jail time, the disobedient person remains liable for the damages resulting to anyone harmed by the refusal to obey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a violation of this section?
What is the maximum fine for this kind of contempt?
Five thousand dollars.
How long can someone be imprisoned for refusing to obey the order?
Until the person complies with the order, so the jail time is not a fixed term but runs until compliance.
Does a person who disobeys an order also owe money to anyone hurt by the refusal?
Yes. The section adds liability for damages resulting to any person on account of the refusal to obey the order, separate from the fine and imprisonment.
Which orders under this article does this section back up?
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: contempt of court in quo warrantodisobeying a court order penalty nebraskafive thousand dollar contempt finejail until compliance with an orderliability for refusing a court order