GREEN SHEET REDIGEST
HB 114 2015 Regular Session Burford
(KEYWORD, SUMMARY, AND DIGEST as amended by Senate committee
amendments)
CIVIL/ACTIONS. Authorizes the award of attorney fees relative to contempt of court.
DIGEST
Abstract: Authorizes the court to award reasonable attorney fees when granting a motion
for contempt of court.
Present law provides that the supreme court, the courts of appeal, the district courts, family
courts, juvenile courts, and the city courts may punish a person adjudged guilty of a contempt
of court.
Present law provides specified monetary and imprisonment penalties for certain forms of
contempt of court, including penalties for direct contempt of court committed by an attorney,
for disobeying restraining orders and injunctions, for deliberate refusal to perform an act, and
for disobeying an order for the payment of child or spousal support.
Present law provides that justices of the peace may punish a person adjudged guilty of a
direct contempt of court by a fine of not more than $50, imprisonment in the parish jail for
not more than 24 hours, or both.
Present law authorizes the court or a justice of the peace, when applicable, to suspend the
imposition or the execution of the whole or any part of the sentence imposed and place the
defendant on unsupervised probation or probation supervised by a probation office, agency,
or officer designated by the court or justice of the peace, other than the division of probation
and parole of the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections.
Present law authorizes a court to award reasonable attorney fees when a court finds that a
parent has violated a visitation order.
Proposed law retains present law and further authorizes a court which grants a motion for
contempt of court to award reasonable attorney fees to the party bringing the motion for
contempt of court.
(Amends R.S. 13:4611(1)(e)(intro. para.); Adds R.S. 13:4611(4))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary A to the
engrossed bill
1. Deletes removal of payment of reasonable attorney fees as a possible
requirement a court may order when a parent has violated a visitation order.
2. Removes justices of the peace courts from a new provision authorizing a
court which grants a motion for contempt of court to award reasonable
attorney fees to the party bringing the motion.
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Prepared by Julie J. Baxter.