Matter of Williams

McDEVITT, Justice.

The appellant was held in contempt of court for failure to appear for trial on two *476separate occasions. The magistrate fined the appellant $250.00 and sentenced him to 72 hours in jail. The district court affirmed the magistrate’s order.

The appellant, Joseph L. Williams, II (“Williams”), is an attorney who represented Mr. Theodore Delezene in a misdemean- or criminal case. A trial in the Delezene matter was originally scheduled for October 3,1989. Williams contacted Magistrate Judge McClure and received a verbal continuance based on his unavailability for trial. The verbal…