In Ex parte Werblud, 536 S.W.2d 542, 545, 19 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 286 (Tex. 1976), the Supreme Court distinguished civil and punitive contempt as follows: A judgment of civil contempt exerts the judicial authority of the court to persuade the contemnor to obey some order of the court where such obedience will benefit an opposing litigant. Imprisonment is conditional upon obedience . . . . Criminal contempt on the other hand is punitive in nature. The sentence is not conditioned upon some promise of future performance because the cotemnor is being punished for some completed act which affronted the dignity and authority of the court.