A Washington Motion To Set Show Cause Hearing — Contempt is a type of court motion used in Washington state to initiate a hearing to determine whether a party has violated a court order. It serves as a warning to the party in question to explain why they have not complied with the court order, or else they could face further penalties, such as a fine or imprisonment. There are two main types of Washington Motion To Set Show Cause Hearing — Contempt: civil contempt and criminal contempt. Civil contempt is used when a party has failed to comply with a court order and the violation is not considered a criminal offense. Criminal contempt is used when a party has committed a criminal act in violation of the court order. In either case, if the court finds that the party is in contempt of court, it may issue a show cause order requiring the party to explain why they have not complied with the court order or face further penalties.