State v. Berty

¶1 Attorney Stone Grissom appeals contempt sanctions that the trial court imposed for his conduct *76while representing Mark Berty on voyeurism charges. Grissom contends that the trial court erred in relying on its inherent contempt power rather than initiating contempt under the criminal contempt statute. He also claims that he did not commit misconduct as a matter of law. We hold that the trial court properly exercised its discretion to impose sanctions for contempt committed in the court’s presence, but that the amount of sanctions imposed was excessive. We affirm but remand for entry of an…