(a) The Mayor, or other person presiding over Bexley Mayor's Court, may summarily punish a person guilty of misbehavior in the presence of or so near the court or presiding official as to obstruct the administration of justice.
(b) A person guilty of any of the following acts may be punished for a contempt of court:
(1) Disobedience, or resistance to, a lawful writ, process, order, rule, judgment or command of the court or an officer of the court;
(2) Misbehavior of an officer of the court in the performance of his or her official duties or in his or her official transactions;
(3) A failure to obey a subpoena duly served, or a refusal to be sworn or to answer as a witness, when lawfully required;
(4) The rescue, or attempted rescue, of a person or of property in the custody of an officer by virtue of an order or process of court held by him or her;
(5) A failure upon the part of a person recognized to appear as a witness in the court to appear in compliance with the terms of his recognizance.
(c) In all contempt proceedings, the court shall conduct a hearing at which the court shall investigate the charge and hear any answer or testimony that the accused makes or offers, and the court shall determine whether the accused is guilty of the contempt charge. If so found guilty, the Mayor, or other person presiding over the court, may impose any of the following penalties:
(1) For a first offense, a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), a definite term of imprisonment of not more than thirty days in jail, or both;
(2) For a second offense, a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00), a definite term of imprisonment of not more than sixty days in jail, or both;
(3) For a third or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), a definite term of imprisonment of not more than ninety days in jail, or both.
(Ord. 31-92. Passed 6-9-92.)