SentenceCalc

Contempt of Court Sentence Calculator

This page covers cases where a person disobeyed a court order. Federal sentences for contempt of court are calculated under §2J1.1 of the Sentencing Guidelines. Answer the questions below to see the range for a specific case.

Verified Checked against the manual text in at least five AI-assisted review rounds. Not yet reviewed by an attorney. Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025Updated October 4, 2026

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Starting level and typical ranges

The starting level for this offense depends on another offense: offense level from the most similar guideline. There is no set level for contempt. The court uses the guideline for the most similar offense (§2X5.1). For unpaid child support or violating an order against fraud, that is the fraud guideline (§2B1.1). For some conduct it is obstruction of justice (§2J1.2). Enter the level from that guideline. When using the fraud guideline here, start at its level 6, not 7 (the 7 is only for charges sentenced directly under §2B1.1 that carry a 20-year maximum). Use the calculator above and enter that level when asked.

Important details

  • Contempt has no guideline of its own because the conduct varies so much. The court applies the most similar guideline, or general sentencing principles if there is none (§2J1.1, §2X5.1).
  • For willful failure to pay court-ordered child support, the fraud guideline (§2B1.1) applies. The loss is the unpaid child support, and the increase for violating a court order, §2B1.1(b)(9)(C), is not added (§2J1.1, note 2).
  • A first offense of failing to pay child support under 18 U.S.C. §228(a)(1) is a Class B misdemeanor and this guideline does not cover it (§2J1.1, note 2).
  • For violating a court order that banned fraudulent behavior, the fraud guideline (§2B1.1) applies and the increase for violating a court order ordinarily applies (§2J1.1, note 3).
  • The calculator does not apply mandatory minimum sentences set by statute for this offense. If the statute of conviction requires one and it is higher than the range shown, the minimum controls; check the statute or ask a lawyer.
  • Calculator limits: Choosing the most similar guideline automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Is the calculator accurate for contempt of court?

It follows §2J1.1 of the Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025. It passed 5 review rounds, each comparing every number, rule and label with the manual text, and its last round found nothing to correct. Those reviews were done with AI tools, not by lawyers, and it has not yet been reviewed by an attorney, so mistakes are possible. The guidelines are advisory, and a lawyer who knows the case can tell you what actually applies.