State v. Melechinsky

In September, 1978, while on trial in the Superior Court on criminal charges, the defendant was adjudged to be in contempt of court. The court rendered the contempt judgment on its own motion and ordered the defendant committed to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for a period of two months. The court determined that after the jury had been selected, but before the jury members were sworn in, the defendant had deliberately mailed or caused to be mailed to members of the jury and members of the jury panel a packet of written materials. These written materials improperly commented…