What does it mean when a contempt charge is coercive?

• A. It is meant to punish past disobedience.
• B. It is a purely civil sanction with no effect on orders.
• C. It is designed to transfer the case to another court.
• D. It is meant to compel compliance with a court order.

Answer: (D)

Coercive contempt is used to force a party to comply with a court order. The sanction is aimed at securing immediate or continued compliance, often by jail time or other measures that stay in effect until the order is obeyed. The focus is on compelling action, not punishing past behavior. Once the person complies, the contempt ends. This differs from punitive contempt, which punishes already occurred disobedience regardless of future actions.