After a summons with notice is served, the defendant will demand that the plaintiff serve a complaint. The plaintiff must then have the complaint served within 20 days after being served with the demand, or the case may be dismissed.
You don't need an attorney to file a Motion for Contempt, but it is a good idea to have one. If you decide to represent yourself, you can go to the courthouse that made the order and ask for help at the Court Service Center.
(b) Document Demand: As the name indicates, this is a written demand in which one party demands that the other produce certain documents for inspection and copying. (This device is also referred to as a notice of discovery and inspection). The demand must define the items sought with reasonable particularity.
Possible strategies include: Claiming Unawareness: Arguing that you were unaware that your behavior was considered contemptuous could lead to a dismissal of charges. Necessity or Self-Defense: Demonstrating that your actions were out of necessity or self-defense may lead to an acquittal.
To file a motion for contempt in New York, certain criteria must be met. There must be an existing order of the court that is clear and unambiguous, and the accused must be proven to have known about this order and willfully disobeyed it.
Except as provided in subdivisions (2), (3) and (4), punishment for a contempt, specified in section seven hundred fifty, may be by fine, not exceeding one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment, not exceeding thirty days, in the jail of the county where the court is sitting, or both, in the discretion of the court.