People Ex Rel. Woodward v. Oliver

This is an appeal from a judgment finding defense attorney Frank Oliver guilty of contempt during a criminal trial and fining him. $350. Briefly stated, the specifications of contempt are: (1) that, in the presence of the jury, he refused to enter chambers when requested to do so by the court; and (2) that, during closing argument, he repeatedly referred to the trial judge’s rulings after the court had warned him that such comments would be regarded as contemptuous. The issues presented for review are: (I) whether the right of the defendant in the case-in-chief to a public trial justifies his…