Texas Child Protection Law Bench Book

2024 version: As effective October 1, 2024

D. Remedies for Contempt

Tex. Gov't Code § 21.001(a) gives courts the inherent power to maintain control of court proceedings and enforce lawful orders through the power of contempt. Although all contempt proceedings are quasi-criminal, it is the character of the relief which the proceeding will afford that defines the proceeding as civil or criminal.[47] On a finding of contempt, the court may respond to the contempt by applying the civil/coercive remedy sanction, or the criminal/punitive sanction, or a combination of both.