Ex Parte Maurice Werblud

Summary

The Texas Supreme Court held that the temporary injunction was sufficiently specific, that the criminal contempt proceeding was a petty offense not requiring a jury trial, and that Maurice Werblud properly invoked his privilege against self‑incrimination, granting his writ of habeas corpus and releasing him from custody. The Court applied the certainty test for injunctions, the Muniz petty‑offense analysis for jury rights, and recognized the personal nature of the Fifth Amendment privilege. Justice Reavley dissented, arguing that the privilege should not be expanded and that the proceeding’s criminal nature was unclear.