Washington Contempt — Motion and Declaration for an Order to Show Cause is a legal document that is filed in the state of Washington when a party violates a court order or fails to obey a court ruling. It is used to ask the court to hold the party in contempt and to compel the party to comply with the court’s order. The motion lays out the facts of the case and the grounds for the contempt order, and the declaration states the facts which support the motion. The two types of Washington Contempt — Motion and Declaration for an Order to Show Cause are civil contempt and criminal contempt. Civil contempt is used when a party fails to comply with a court order and the court wants to compel the party to comply with the order. Criminal contempt is used when a party violates the court’s order and the court wants to punish the party.