Defying court orders

Defying a court order means refusing to comply with a binding judicial directive — by an official, an agency, or anyone subject to the court's jurisdiction. This is among the most direct breaches of the rule of law: the courts' authority depends entirely on compliance, since courts have no army of their own. Concrete forms include outright refusal, performative half-compliance designed to mock the order, transfer of property or persons to evade the order's reach, and the firing of subordinates who attempt to comply. Routine appeals through the proper channels are not defiance; defiance is what happens when channels are exhausted and the official refuses anyway, or refuses while litigation is still ongoing.