Contempt Of Court

WASHINGTON -- A congressional committee exploring baseball's steroids scandal asked the Justice Department on Tuesday to investigate whether shortstop Miguel Tejada lied in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs as lawmakers ratcheted up pressure on Major League Baseball to clean up its act or face possible legislative action.

Marine Sgt. Jermaine A. Nelson, jailed in Los Angeles last week for contempt of court for refusing to testify against his former squad leader about the alleged killing of Iraqi prisoners, was released Thursday after promising to attend a grand jury session and listen to questions. Joseph Low, Nelson's attorney, said his client promised U.S.

Rare is the case that lands a defense attorney behind bars with his client. But that's what happened to lawyer Stephen Charles Hollingsworth this week. His alleged crime: tardiness. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John J. Cheroske was so frustrated with Hollingsworth arriving at court late -- or sometimes not at all -- that he threw him in jail as a way of ensuring that the attorney would show up for court on time.

Federal prosecutors have dropped their bid to have two Marine sergeants jailed for contempt of court for refusing to testify against a former Marine squad leader who was acquitted last month in the killing of four unarmed Iraqi prisoners. In papers filed in Riverside federal court, prosecutors said dropping the charges against Sgt. Ryan Weemer and Sgt. Jermaine Nelson was "in the interests of justice." Despite reassurances from U.S.

Pamelyn Ferdin, an activist who has protested the use of animals in scientific experiments, was convicted of contempt of court Thursday for violating an injunction against demonstrations near the homes of UCLA researchers. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John L. Segal, who conducted Ferdin's hearing in Santa Monica, scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, according to a court clerk.

A federal judge in Panama City, Fla., on Thursday ordered "Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis jailed for contempt of court in a civil suit brought by seven young women who claimed the entrepreneur's film crews had placed them in sexually explicit situations. Francis, the Santa Monica-based multimillionaire who has made a fortune selling risque videos of scantily clad coeds, was ordered by U.S.

"Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis was arrested by federal marshals Tuesday in Panama City, Fla., to face a contempt-of-court citation. Francis, 34, a Santa Monica-based multimillionaire who has made a fortune selling risque videos of scantily clad women, was arrested at the Panama City Bay County International Airport. U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak in Florida had issued a warrant for Francis' arrest last week after he failed to surrender.

The millionaire founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" video empire was charged Thursday with bribing a jail guard for a bottle of water and having prescription sleeping pills in his cell, authorities said. When he learned of the new charges, Joe Francis waived his right to a bond hearing for the contempt-of-court charge that had led to his being jailed. Francis cried as his mother blew him a kiss while he was led from a federal courtroom back to his cell.

A federal judge Monday sentenced the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire to 35 days in prison and fined him $5,000 after he pleaded guilty to a criminal contempt charge. Joe Francis, the Santa Monica-based multimillionaire who has made a fortune selling risque videos of scantily clad women, was arrested by federal marshals two weeks ago after he failed to meet a deadline to appear in court.

A federal judge denied for now a request by the Securities and Exchange Commission to hold former Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. Chairman Henry Yuen in contempt and to jail him until he pays $12 million. U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer in Los Angeles last year found Yuen liable for securities fraud, ruling that he misled investors and Gemstar's auditors while he was chief executive of the Hollywood-based company and inflated revenue from 1999 to 2002. He was ordered to pay $22.