In re the Dependency of A.K.

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Alexander, C.J.

Petitioners M.H.-O. and Y.H. are teenage girls who ran away multiple times from foster *638homes in which they had been placed. The juvenile court found each of them in contempt of court for running away and used its “inherent contempt power” to order each of them to spend 30 to 60 days in detention. Petitioners ask this court to reverse the Court of Appeals decision affirming the juvenile court orders. They argue that the Court of Appeals erred in concluding that the juvenile court has the inherent power to impose punitive sanctions on a youth for indirect contempt. Although we…