Minnesota Statutes

Minn. Stat. § 588.02 (2026)

Power To Punish; Limitation

✓ current as of May 2026

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Every court and judicial officer may punish a contempt by fine or imprisonment, or both. In addition, when the contempt involves the willful disobedience of an order of the court requiring the payment of money for the support or maintenance of a minor child, the court may require the payment of the costs and a reasonable attorney's fee, incurred in the prosecution of the contempt, to be paid by the guilty party. When it is a constructive contempt, it must appear that the right or remedy of a party to an action or special proceeding was defeated or prejudiced by it before the contempt can be punished by imprisonment or by a fine exceeding $50.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 9 cases, 1963–2015 · leading case: In Re Storberg, 94 B.R. 144 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1988).

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In Re Storberg, 94 B.R. 144 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1988). · cites it 2× “091 providing special procedures for obtaining judgments for support and maintenance obligations, Minn.Stat. § 588.02 providing special contempt powers in the case of disobedience of court ordered child support orders, Minn.”

Time-Share Sys., Inc. v. Schmidt, 397 N.W.2d 438 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 2× “3(3) (1984); Minn.Stat. § 588.02 (1984); Westgor v. Grimm, 381 N.”

Peterson v. Peterson, 153 N.W.2d 825 (Minn. 1967). “It should be noted that § 588.02 limits the power to punish constructive contempts by imprisonment or by a fine exceeding $50 to cases where it appears that a party’s right or remedy was defeated or prejudiced; and that § 588.”

Cnty. of Blue Earth v. Turtle, 593 N.W.2d 258 (Minn. Ct. App. 1999). · cites it 2× “The Piel family moved to dismiss for failure to state a claim on which relief could be granted. Id. at 396. The Indiana Court of Appeals Court affirmed the trial court’s decision to dismiss based on the Indiana statute which has some similarity to Minn.”

In re Craig E. Cascarano, State of Minnesota v. Michael Demond Rashaun Mason, 871 N.W.2d 34 (Minn. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “Minn.Stat. § 588.02 (2014); see also Minn.”

In Re Jenison Contempt Proceedings, 120 N.W.2d 515 (Minn. 1963). “4 If this was a constructive contempt, under these facts the maximum penalty authorized by § 588.02 was a fine of $50, whereas the punishment for a direct contempt under § 588.”

Lynne A. Torgerson v. State of Minnesota (Minn. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 3× “” Minn. Stat. § 588.02 (2010). A person adjudged guilty of contempt is subject to punishment of “a fine of not more than $250, or by imprisonment in the county jail, workhouse, or work farm for not more than six months, or by both.”

Coco's Heart Dog Rescue v. Ann Marie Hawthorne (Minn. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “In the district court’s subsequent July 7 contempt order, it cited numerous civil cases in support of its conclusion that the hearing involved constructive civil contempt and that it had “the power to punish contempt by fine and/or imprisonment” under Minn. Stat. § 588.02…”

In re Order of the Dist. Court Issued On January 7, 1987, 409 N.W.2d 546 (Minn. Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 2× “Minn.Stat. § 588.02 (1986). Appellant further asserts the contempt order is intended to punish and is therefore criminal in nature.”

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