From Fines To Jail Time: How Apple Could Be Punished For Defying FBI

The fines and punishments that Apple could face by continuing to defy the FBI's demand that it help unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino (CA) shooter Syed Farook are considerable, even by the standards of one of the richest companies in the world. Many of the possible penalties are discretionary to the court where the dispute is currently being heard. The case, at least for now, resides in the US District Court for California's Central District. If Apple openly defies or ignores the demands in the order signed by Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym, the court would most likely wield a civil contempt-of-court charge as the mechanism to coerce Apple to comply, explains Cooper Levenson attorney Peter Fu. The court could also mete out civil punishments like fines. If such penalties aren't regulated by a statute, they have to be based on precedent, Fu says.