Art. 48. Contempt — Us Code Code § 848

Us Code Code § 848 — Art. 48. Contempt. Reproduced from the official United States Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.

§ 848. Art. 48. Contempt

(a) Authority To Punish.—(1) With respect to any proceeding under this chapter, a judicial officer specified in paragraph (2) may punish for contempt any person who—

(A) uses any menacing word, sign, or gesture in the presence of the judicial officer during the proceeding;

(B) disturbs the proceeding by any riot or disorder; or

(C) willfully disobeys a lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command issued with respect to the proceeding.


(2) A judicial officer referred to in paragraph (1) is any of the following:

(A) Any judge of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and any judge of a Court of Criminal Appeals under section 866 of this title (article 66).

(B) Any military judge detailed to a court-martial, a provost court, a military commission, or any other proceeding under this chapter.

(C) Any military magistrate designated to preside under section 819 of this title (article 19).

(D) The president of a court of inquiry.


(b) Punishment.—The punishment for contempt under subsection (a) may not exceed confinement for 30 days, a fine of $1,000, or both.

(c) Review.—A punishment under this section—

(1) if imposed by a military judge or military magistrate, may be reviewed by the Court of Criminal Appeals in accordance with the uniform rules of procedure for the Courts of Criminal Appeals under section 866(h) of this title (article 66(h));

(2) if imposed by a judge of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces or a judge of a Court of Criminal Appeals, shall constitute a judgment of the court, subject to review under the applicable provisions of section 867 or 867a of this title (article 67 or 67a); and

(3) if imposed by a court of inquiry, shall be subject to review by the convening authority in accordance with rules prescribed by the President.


(d) Inapplicability to Military Commissions Under Chapter 47A.—This section does not apply to a military commission established under chapter 47A of this title.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 53; Pub. L. 109–366, §4(a)(2), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2631; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §542(a), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4218; Pub. L. 114–328, div. E, title LVII, §5230, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2913; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, §1081(c)(1)(F), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1598.)

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
848 50:623. May 5, 1950, ch. 169, §1 (Art. 48), 64 Stat. 123.

The word "may" is substituted for the word "shall".


Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–91 substituted "section 866(h) of this title (article 66(h))" for "section 866(g) of this title (article 66(g))".

2016—Pub. L. 114–328, §5230(c), amended section catchline generally, substituting "Contempt" for "Contempts".

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, §5230(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "A judge detailed to a court-martial, a court of inquiry, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, a military Court of Criminal Appeals, a provost court, or a military commission may punish for contempt any person who—

"(1) uses any menacing word, sign, or gesture in the presence of the judge during the proceedings of the court-martial, court, or military commission;

"(2) disturbs the proceedings of the court-martial, court, or military commission by any riot or disorder; or

"(3) willfully disobeys the lawful writ, process, order, rule, decree, or command of the court-martial, court, or military commission."

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 114–328, §5230(b), added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

2011—Pub. L. 111–383 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "A court-martial, provost court, or military commission may punish for contempt any person who uses any menacing word, sign, or gesture in its presence, or who disturbs its proceedings by any riot or disorder. The punishment may not exceed confinement for 30 days or a fine of $100, or both. This section does not apply to a military commission established under chapter 47A of this title."

2006—Pub. L. 109–366 inserted last sentence.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2017 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–91 effective immediately after the amendments made by div. E (§§5001–5542) of Pub. L. 114–328 take effect as provided for in section 5542 of that Act (10 U.S.C. 801 note), see section 1081(c)(4) of Pub. L. 115–91, set out as a note under section 801 of this title.

Effective Date of 2016 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on Jan. 1, 2019, as designated by the President, with implementing regulations and provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328 and Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as notes under section 801 of this title.

Effective Date of 2011 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §542(b), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4218, provided that: "Section 848 of title 10, United States Code (article 48 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), as amended by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to acts of contempt committed after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 7, 2011]."

About This Section

10 U.S.C. § 848 is part of Title 10 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 10 U.S.C. § 848. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

How to Read This Statute

Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.

Using This Page

This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.

Sources

Source: official Us Code text · Last verified 2026-08-27

At a glance

Verify the text

Statute text is transcribed from the official United States Code. Confirm it against the primary source before relying on it:

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed Us Code attorney.

Common questions

What is the source of United States Code § 848?

The text above is transcribed from the United States Code, the codified statutes of Us Code. The official publisher link appears under "Verify the text" on this page.

What subject does United States Code § 848 address?

It addresses "Art. 48. Contempt". Read the section together with the surrounding provisions listed under "Nearby provisions" for the full picture.

Is United States Code § 848 still in force?

Statutes are amended, repealed, and renumbered every session. Confirm the current version at the official Us Code source before relying on this text.

Can this page be used as legal advice?

No. This is a reference transcription for research. Applying Us Code law to your facts requires a licensed Us Code attorney who can review the specifics.