In Safer v. Superior Court (1975) 15 Cal.3d 230, the court found the Ventura County District Attorney exceeded his powers by intervening "in a contempt proceeding stemming from private civil litigation in order to enforce an injunctive order granted at the behest of one of the litigants." (P. 235.) There was no authorization for the district attorney to so proceed, and the court held "that a court acts in excess of its jurisdiction when it permits a district attorney to disregard the statutory confines of his authority . . . ." (P. 233.)