50-105. Contempt, defined; punishment.

The Legislature has power and authority to punish as a contempt by fine or imprisonment, or either of them, the offense of knowingly arresting a member in violation of his privilege; of assaulting or threatening to assault a member, or threatening to do him any harm, in person or property, for anything said or done as a member thereof; of attempting, by menace or other corrupt means, to control or influence a member in giving his vote, or to prevent his giving it; of disorderly or contemptuous conduct tending to disturb its proceedings; of refusing to attend or to be sworn or to be examined as a witness before the Legislature or a committee, when duly summoned; of assaulting or preventing any person going to the Legislature, or its committee, by order thereof, knowing the same; of rescuing or attempting to rescue any person arrested by order of the Legislature, knowing of such arrest; and of knowingly injuring any officer of the Legislature in the discharge of his duties as such.

Source:R.S.1866, c. 31, § 7, p. 250; R.S.1913, § 3746; C.S.1922, § 3139; C.S.1929, § 50-105; R.S.1943, § 50-105.

Annotations

Although this section authorizes the Legislature to hold in contempt a person refusing to be sworn, when required by a committee of the Legislature pursuant to a rule of the Nebraska Unicameral, the statute does not explicitly require an oath to be administered to persons testifying before a committee. State v. Douglas, 222 Neb. 833, 388 N.W.2d 801 (1986).