Contempt hearing for Davis delayed until Monday
The contempt hearing for Washington County Clerk of Courts Brenda Davis has been delayed until next week with strict rules set in place for those attending the proceeding.
President Judge John DiSalle signed the order late Wednesday changing the date for the hearing to 9:30 a.m. Monday in Courtroom 2.
The hearing was originally scheduled for this morning, but DiSalle continued the proceeding to allow for security and decorum measures to be set in place.
Among them includes a timeline for members of the media and public to enter the courtroom, which will only be allowed from 9 to 9:20 a.m., just before the hearing begins. There will be a maximum of 70 people allowed in the gallery during the hearing, according to the order, and face coverings must be worn by those in attendance. People will not be permitted to stand in the hallway outside the courtroom during the hearing.
Cellphones must be turned off – not merely placed on silent mode – during the hearing, and no recording devices will be allowed in the courtroom. Anyone who violates the order will have their device confiscated by sheriff’s deputies and could face contempt proceedings of their own.
Davis is undergoing contempt proceedings after she allegedly blocked sheriff’s deputies from removing juvenile case filings from her office Nov. 24 following a court order from DiSalle requiring the transfer of the documents to the Juvenile Probation Office. Deputies briefly handcuffed Davis, but released her from custody after she complained of back pain. She was checked by medics, and then left the courthouse before going to an area hospital for unspecified medical treatment.
DiSalle initiated contempt proceedings shortly after the incident, but recessed the hearing in order to eventually bring Davis back for its conclusion, which originally was to continue at 9:30 a.m. today. In that scheduling order, DiSalle wrote that Davis should “be prepared to answer for her contumacious behavior” during the incident last week.