Contempt Finding in United States v. Stevens

ROGERS, Circuit Judge:

The issue in this appeal is whether the district court erred in holding two Justice Department attorneys in contempt without affording them the procedural protections provided by Rule 42(a) of the Federal *1271Rules of Criminal Procedure for criminal contempt. We hold there was no error. The character and nature of the contempt were civil. Its purpose was to compel the production of documents to the defendant as the district court had ordered. The contempt was purged upon their production, the contempt was lifted, and no sanctions were imposed because the contempt finding had…