Quote Originally Posted by David Merrill View Post
Irregular at best.

It strikes me that the prosecution (judge) is trying to avoid trying Doreen for the same drawn out accusation. Contempt is typically between the judge and a party in the courtroom. But I have never studied up much about contempt specifically. This sort of thing might go on all the time.
Contempt is a criminal offense, even though it arises from an interaction between the court and a party in the courtroom. So as much as a slam dunk as it may seem to be, she is nonetheless entitled to due process of law--i.e. grand jury indictment, presumption of not guilty, opportunity to defend, etc.