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At a courtroom

Judge: Now, you have destroyed the evidence.

Man: What evidence?

Judge: That brick, exhibit 'A'. You're accused of having thrown that brick through the store window. That brick was part of the evidence.

Man: Oh, and I destroyed it.

Judge: Yes. I've never seen anything like it. Don't you know right from wrong?

Man: Oh, I'm truly sorry, Your Honor.

Judge: Silence in court. You really don't know right from wrong, do you?

Man: Oh, I'm truly sorry, Your honor.

Judge: Enough! The damage has been done. I'll have you off for contempt of court.

What does "I'll have you off for contempt of court" mean?

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    This is not an idiom that I'm familiar with, nor is google much help. From context, however, it could be short for "I'll have you off to prison for contempt of court." The apparent meaning is that the judge intends to formally charge the man with the offense of contempt of court.
    – Canadian Yankee
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 18:27
  • Some background research would have helped this. Have you tried searching for "contempt of court" (a technical legal term, but one that is easy to research)
    – James K
    Commented Feb 10, 2021 at 19:48
  • I think the original text is incorrect. So, I converted this section of video to text with online tools. Results: Site NO1: I'll have you on for contempt of court. Site NO2: I'll have you out for contempt of court. Site NO3: I'll have you up for contempt of court. Which is correct? 1-have you on 2-have you out 3-have you up
    – rezaellstack
    Commented Feb 11, 2021 at 16:34
  • @rezaellstack: I don't like any of those guesses. Assuming your source was written by a native speaker, I would guess it used the word "hold" rather than the word "have."
    – Brian
    Commented Feb 16, 2021 at 14:58

1 Answer 1

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"Contempt of court" is when a person tries to disrupt a court's proceedings in such a way that a person does not get a fair trial. The judge can send you to prison for contempt of court.

In the UK (and similarly in other countries) it could be

  • disobeying or ignoring a court order
  • taking photos or shouting out in court
  • refusing to answer the court’s questions if you’re called as a witness
  • publicly commenting on a court case, for example on social media or online news articles

The language used by the judge is un-court-like and unnatural. Judges don't say "I'll have you off for contempt of court. It probably is meant to mean "I'll send you to prison for contempt of court" But I don't think there is any point in explaining further about this frankly weird Canadian TV series

Please try to find a better source to learn English from!!

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