right to counsel
Must Warn of Right to Counsel on Contempt
May 05, 2009
The trial court ordered a father to pay child
support. When he failed to do so, the trial court
held him in contempt of court but suspended his
commitment to jail. Later, at a compliance hearing,
the trial court committed the father to jail for
failure to pay child support. The Court of Appeals
granted the father's petition for writ of habeas
corpus because the trial court did not admonish him
of his right to counsel or seek his knowing and
intelligent waiver of that right. In re:
Casey, No. 01-08-00928-CV (Tex. App. - Houston
[1st Dist.] Apr. 30, 2009, orig. proceeding).
Courtesy of Verner & Brumley, P.C. Dallas, Texas
Courtesy of Verner & Brumley, P.C. Dallas, Texas