Smith v. State

Petitioner, Patrick Darnell Smith, was convicted in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County of multiple drug-related offenses. In addition, for conduct occurring in the course of a hearing on Smith’s motion for a new trial, the trial judge found him in direct criminal contempt of court on three occasions. The initial two instances of verbal misconduct resulting in contempt findings were separated by several minutes of relatively ordinary courtroom dialogue. The third episode resulting in a contempt finding came at the end of the hearing when Smith launched into a string of expletives against…