Zeigler v. State

I concur in the judgment of the Court that the punishment imposed in this case exceeded the statutory limits. However, I must dissent to whatever the majority opinion is supposed to be overruling in Minter v. State, 765 P.2d 803 (Okl.Cr.1988). In Minter a unanimous Court, that included this writer and Judges Brett and Bussey, held that 21 O.S.Supp.1984, § 566, did not confer jurisdictional power on the courts to punish contempt by imposing payment of litigation costs as part of the punishment.

The majority states that the legislature gave the courts the power to impose sanctions for direct…