Stahl v. Redcay

1 Appellant, Michael M. Badowski, Esquire, asks us to determine whether the Union County Court of Common Pleas erred when it found him in civil contempt for causing a mistrial in this medical malpractice action and imposed sanctions in the amount of $52,088.02, payable to Joseph Lenahan, Esquire, counsel for Appellees, Michelle Stahl and James Stahl, as parents and natural guardians of Heaven Lee Angel Stahl, a minor, and Michelle Stahl and James Stahl, husband and wife in their own right. We hold the courts ruling subject to review has no foundation of record, absent a definite, clear, and specific prior order in the record prohibiting the use at trial of evidence of mothers smoking during pregnancy as a cause of the minor childs alleged birth defects. Accordingly, we reverse.