In re Westerfield

On March 5,1979, upon proceedings under a writ of habeas corpus previously issued to the sheriff of Umatilla County, this court ordered the release of Bruce E. Westerfield from the Umatilla County jail. The court stated at the time that it would publish the reasons for this action in a subsequent opinion.

The sheriff’s return to the writ of habeas corpus stated that he held Mr. Westerfield pursuant to a warrant of commitment issued by the Oregon Tax Court upon a sentence for contempt of an order of that court. It appears from the tax court’s warrant of commitment and the underlying order that…