Reeves v. Crownshield
Court of Appeals of New York
8 N.E.2d 283 (N.Y. 1937)
Relevant factsFree
The City Court of New York City entered a roughly $400 judgment against the defendant and ordered him to pay it off at $20 per month. When he failed to pay, the judge held him in contempt under a new state law. The defendant appealed, arguing the law amounted to unconstitutional imprisonment for debt under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
IssueFree
Whether a law holding a defendant in contempt for failing to satisfy a judgment under a court-ordered payment plan violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.