WPCh UBV %nX 0P 4V 0j 0D w@B  0J 0T 0^& 0h 0r 0|^ 0 0` 1u U,e 0d BU,U6>U*tB) D3DC AM= 0@>=-Ev~rv AO 0D D/ BK<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX3|X <6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@%2A`ArialTTt10cpiXXX2PQXP(($D  ԡ (D(3$ !D      0  (#$  0      U U U D D D D ӀHD2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Courier New<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d$$$$'dxd))))7Border 1dd-+C << G("$     4 !  #d#' D    ((   YYY FILED(XSeptember5,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk   3 !#d#' D     $       ((ThisCourtdeclinestoidentifythewomanaboutwhomthisremarkwasmade. # !#d#' D     $       ((Thestatutewasamendedtothisformin1989.Thecourtbelowmistakenlyreliedonthepriorversion,whichstates [a]nypersonwhoshallprofanelyswearorcurseinthepresenceofanycourtofrecordmaybefinedatthediscretionofthecourt,andbeimprisonednotexceedingtwentyfour(24)hours.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &&&Xd&#&&Xd#' D    `  X 7XXdd7  \RA'\  (L,.+;+'h|` 81 `Lߛ  INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLE  @ OCTOBER1993SESSION STATEOFTENNESSEE,   )       )  C.C.A.NO.01C019304CR00114   Appellee, 򀀀  )      ) DAVIDSONCOUNTY VS.      )      ) HON.WALTERC.KURTZ,̜ALFREDB.ROLLINS,etal.,  ) JUDGE      )  Defendants,    ) (Contempt) ̜       ) ̜ Inre:JOHNHERBISON,   ) ̜      )  Appellant.   ) FORTHEAPPELLANT:    FORTHEAPPELLEE: RICHARDϜMCGEE     CHARLESW.BURSON WashingtonSquareTwo,Ste.417  AttorneyGeneral&Reporter 222SecondAve.,N. Nashville,TN37201    KATHYM.PRINCIPE        Asst.AttorneyGeneral̀       450JamesRobertsonPkwy.        Nashville,TN372430493          ̜                OPINIONFILED:____________________ REVERSEDANDDISMISSED ̜ C.CREEDMCGINLEY, SpecialJudge  @ OPINION     TheappellantisappealingasofrightfromanorderoftheCriminalCourtofDavidsonCountyfindinghimincriminalcontempt.TheorderwasenteredpursuanttoRule42(a)oftheTennesseeRulesofCriminalProcedure;thatis,theorderwasissuedsummarilybythetrialjudgeinwhosepresencetheappellantsconductoccurred,withoutnoticeorhearing.Theappellantchallengesthesufficiencyoftheevidencesupportingtheorder,thesummaryprocedureusedforissuingtheorder,andtheconstitutionalityofthestatuteuponwhichtheorderispartiallybasedanditsapplicationhere.Becausewefindthattheappellantsconductdidnotconstitutecriminalcontempt,wereversethejudgmentbelowanddismisstheseproceedings.  Theorderfindingtheappellantincriminalcontemptaroseoutofapretrialevidentiaryhearinginconjunctionwithacriminalproceedinginwhichtheappellantrepresentedoneofseveraldefendants.Oneofthedefenseswasthattheprosecutionwasretaliatoryinresponsetoavulgarstatementthatoneoftheotherdefendantsallegedlymadeaboutapoliceofficer.Thedefendantwhomadetheremarktestified,andneitherhislawyernortheStatedeemeditnecessarytoelicittheexactwordingoftheremark.Rather,thedefendantdescribedtheremarkas kindofvulgarandadmittedthatitmadereferencetothepoliceofficeras beingalesbian.  Theappellantaskedonlyonequestiononcrossexaminationofthisdefendant,thatbeing CouncilmanRollins,Iknowyourereluctanttotalkaboutit;but,inyourconversationwiththeMayor,didyoureferto[thepoliceofficer] /   ׀asapyeatingbitch?Thedefendantresponded Yes,sir,Idid.Noobjectionwasinterposedatthetimethequestionwasasked,nomotiontostrikewasmade,andtherehadbeennopreviouscourtrulingdisallowingthequestionortheuseofthevulgarterm.  Attheconclusionofthehearing,thecourtissueditsordersummarilypursuanttoRule42(a)oftheTennesseeRulesofCriminalProcedure.Theorderfoundtheappellant inCriminalContemptandassessedafineoffiftydollars($50.00).Inpertinentpart,theOrderstates:       [Thelanguage]wasprofane,obscene,andhadabsolutely...noplaceinthecourtroomunlessitwasdirectlyrelevantandnecessarytotheproceedings.Thequestionaskedwassimplybeyondthepale.lnoverten(10)yearsasajudgethisCourthasneverheardaquestionsofaroutsidetheboundsofpropriety.̜....̜ThequestionaskedbyMr.Herbisoncontainedbothprofaneandobscenelanguage.Itcontainedreferencetoaremarkthatwasnotrelevantandnotarguablyrelevantornecessaryinthecontextinwhichitwasasked.Thereisnoreasonablebasistobelievethattheremarkwasrelevantasthedefensehadfailedtolayanyfoundationtoindicatethattheremarkhadeverbeenmentionedto[thepoliceofficer].Thequestioncontainedinformationthatwasdegrading,impertinentandcertainlyunnecessary.̜ThisCourtissimplynotgoingtoallowattorneystomakescurrilous,lewdandunseemlycommentsaboutthecharacteroractivitiesofawitnessunlessandonlyunlessthosearedirectlyrelevantandnecessarytotheproceeding.Inthiscase,theremarkservedonlytobringdisrespectandderisiontotheCourtprocess.ThistypeofconductandcommentcannotbetoleratedinaTennesseecourtroom.̜ D   D   Insupportofitsruling,thecourtcitedT.C.A.299107andseveraldisciplinaryrulescontainedintheTennesseeCodeofProfessionalResponsibility,Sup.Ct.R.8.  Section299107providesthat [a]nypersonwhoprofanelyswearsorcursesinthepresenceofanycourtofrecordcommitsaClassCmisdemeanor. 0   כWeagreewiththeappellantthatthelanguageatissuedoesnotconstituteprofaneswearingorcursing.ThereappeartobenoTennesseecasesconstruing299107ineitheritsamendedororiginalform.NordothereappeartobeanyTennesseecasesdefiningtheterm profane.However,BlacksLawDictionarydefinesprofaneas IrreverencetowardGodorholythings.Writing,speaking,oracting,inmanifestorimpliedcontemptofsacredthings.(6thed.1990).Whilewefindthelanguageatissuetobe%  ԛvulgarandcoarse,itisnotprofaneinthesenseofbeingirreverenttowardsacredthings.Theappellantdidnotviolate299107(1992Supp.)byaskingthequestionatissue.Becauseweholdthattheevidenceisinsufficienttosupportafindingofcriminalcontemptbaseduponaviolationofthatsection,wedeclinetoaddresstheappellantsargumentschallengingtheconstitutionalityofthisstatute.SeeWattsv.MemphisTransitManagementCo.,462S.W.2d495,498(Tenn.1971)(appellatecourtshouldnotreachconstitutionalissuewherecaseisdisposedofonnonconstitutionalgrounds).̀  TheStatearguesthatweshouldaffirmthecriminalcontemptunderT.C.A.299102(2),whichprovides: 8       Thepoweroftheseveralcourtstoissueattachments,andinflictpunishmentsforcontemptsofcourt,shallnotbeconstruedtoextendtoanyexceptthefollowingcases:̜...̜(2)thewillfulmisbehaviorofanyoftheofficersofsaidcourts,intheirofficialtransactions.̛̜ D   D   Assumingwithoutdecidingthattheappellantisan officerofthecourtforthepurposesofthisstatute,andassumingwithoutdecidingthattheappellantviolatedtheTennesseeCodeofProfessionalResponsibilityandtherefore misbehavedwhenheaskedthedastardlyquestion,wedonotthinktherecordsupportstheconclusionthattheappellantengagedinsuchmisbehavior willfully.Therehadbeennopriorrulingbythecourtthatprohibitedtheuseorrepetitionoftheepithet.Nordidtheappellantsimplycreatethelanguageinanattempttointimidate,shock,harassorunbalancethewitness:thewitnessadmittedthathehad,indeed,referredtothepoliceofficerinthatfashion.Whenthecourtbelowchallengedtheappellantonhisuseofthequestion,theappellantrespondedthathe feltitimportantfortheJudgetohaveafullpictureofwhat,infact,wenton.  Whileweremainskepticalofthequestionsvaluetotheappellantsrepresentationofhisclient,wedonotfindtheproofsufficienttosupportafindingbeyondareasonabledoubtthattheappellantsconductinposingthequestionwaswillfulmisbehavior.Cf.Statev.Green,783S.W.2d548,553(Tenn.1990)( TotheextentthatMr.Greenhasbeenproven,beyondareasonabledoubt,tohavemisbehavedtotheextentthatheobstructedtheadministrationofjustice,wefindthatitwasmotivatedbyhissincerepursuitofthevigorousadvocacyhedeemednecessary,underthecircumstances,torepresentaclientontrialforhislife,andthuswasnotwillful.).  Forthereasonssetforthabove,wefindtheevidenceinsufficienttosupportthefindingofcriminalcontempt.Accordingly,theordersostatingisreversedandthecontemptchargeisdismissed.Inlightofourdispositionofthiscaseonthemerits,wedeclinetoaddresstheappellantsargumentsconcerningtheuseofϜsummaryprocedureinissuingtheorder,aswellasthethosechallengingtheconstitutionalityofT.C.A.299107.̜    ̜       _________________________________       C.CREEDMCGINLEY,SpecialJudge̛̜CONCUR:̜______________________________JOHNH.PEAY,Judge̜______________________________JOSEPHM.TIPTON,Judge