Every so often, we discover that a judge may lack the expertise or competence on a particular issue that the public hopes for. In the area of contempt, this happens far too often. Contempt — both its substantive aspects and procedurally — is tricky, rife with land mines and, perhaps more than any other area of the law, subject to abuse by judges. Criminal contemnors have constitutional rights, but judges often ignore them, and the consequences of the misuse of this power can be harsh on litigants and …