State v. Smarr

This is an appeal by Paul M. Cowgill, Jr., an attorney who represented Jackie Lee Smarr in a felony case, from an order of the Circuit Court of Doddridge County, holding him, Paul M. Cowgill, Jr., in contempt of court for misrepresentations relating to his representation of Mr. Smarr. Specifically, the court fined Mr. Cowgill $500.00 for repeatedly misrepresenting to the court the status of Mr. Smarr’s appeal. In the present proceeding, Mr. Cowgill contends that the trial court violated his right to due process of law in the contempt proceeding by acting in a summary manner and by refusing to…