Wightman v. Wightman

Citations

• 45 Ill. 167

Syllabus

<p>1. Chancery—process of court—attachment for contempt. A court of chancery has power to issue attachments for contempts in refusing to obey orders made conformable to law.</p> <p>2. Same—imprisonment for debt. The commitment of a defendant for contempt for refusing to pay alimony, is not an imprisonment for debt, from which he can claim exemption under the 15th section of article 8 of the Constitution.</p> <p>3. A court of chancery has power, in addition to making a decree for alimony a lien on the lands of a defendant, to enforce the decree by attachment for contempt, and if the defendant remains contumacious, may also sequestrate his real and personal property, as a means of enforcing performance of the decree.</p> <p>4. The act of June 22, 1852, provides means of relief to a defendant committed for any contempt of court in not performing any order or decree for the payment of money.</p>