Legal Definitions - purge

In legal terms, to purge means to clear oneself or another person of a legal accusation, violation, or penalty by taking a specific action to remedy the situation or fulfill an obligation. It implies that by correcting the wrongdoing or fulfilling a condition, the associated legal consequence or finding of fault can be removed or avoided.

• Example 1: Contempt of Court for Non-Compliance

  Imagine a witness in a civil lawsuit who repeatedly fails to produce specific documents that the court has ordered them to provide. As a result, the judge finds the witness in contempt of court and imposes a daily fine until the documents are submitted.

  If the witness subsequently gathers and submits all the required financial records to the court, they would "purge" the contempt. This means they have taken the necessary action to clear themselves of the contempt finding, and the daily fines would cease, and any other penalties for that specific contempt would be lifted.

• Example 2: Failure to Appear in Court

  Consider a situation where an individual misses a scheduled court appearance for a minor traffic violation, leading the court to issue a warrant for their arrest for failure to appear.

  The individual might be able to "purge" the warrant by voluntarily appearing in court at the next available date and providing a valid reason for their initial absence. By doing so, they clear themselves of the failure-to-appear violation, and the warrant would typically be recalled, removing the immediate threat of arrest.

• Example 3: Conditional Release from Incarceration

  Suppose a person is incarcerated for civil contempt because they refused to comply with a court order, such as paying overdue spousal support. The judge states that they will be released from jail upon payment of a specific portion of the overdue amount.

  If the individual pays the specified amount, they "purge" the contempt. This action clears them of the ongoing contempt violation that led to their incarceration, allowing for their release, even if the underlying debt or dispute continues to be addressed through other legal means.