| Personal
Protection Order |
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| General Civil |
| Domestic |
| Non-Domestic |
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The
purpose of a PPO is to offer a measure of protection to one
person who is experiencing a pattern of physical, verbal, or
emotional abuse, or threats of two or more incidents of stalking
from another person.
Sometimes
people are improperly advised to ask for a personal protection
order to try to solve a problem that they are having with another
person. |
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| Please
review to determine if a PPO is the best action for you |
 |
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| Are you seeking help with: |
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 A
neighborhood argument |
|
A
personal property issue |
|
A
dispute between landlord and tenant |
|
Small
claims case |
|
Support
issues |
|
Visitation
concerns |
|
Concerns
about the behavior of your minor child |
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| If
you answered "yes" to any of the above, you probably are
in need of another action other than a Personal Protection
Order. Mediation may be one course to consider. |
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| Personal
Protection Orders - General Civil |
|
|
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Personal
Protection Orders are usually filed Pro Per (no attorney).
A Personal Protection Order is an order signed by a Circuit
Court Judge that forbids or requires a person to do something.
The person obtaining the PPO is the Petitioner and the person
against whom the PPO is filed is the Respondent.
A PPO may
order the Respondent not to: |
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Enter
your property |
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Assault,
attack, beat or wound you |
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Threaten
to kill or physically harm you |
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Remove
children from you IF you have court-ordered custody |
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Interfere
with your place of employment |
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Interfere
with your efforts to remove your children or personal property |
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Contact
you by telephone |
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Send
you mail (including electronic mail) |
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Purchase
or possess a firearm |
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| To
be eligible to obtain a PPO, you must establish that there
is reasonable cause to believe that the Respondent will commit
one or more of the above behaviors. PPO’S are always
assigned a new case number even if a divorce is filed at the
same time. There is no filing fee for filing of the petition.
The Family Court Coordinator or the Domestic Assault Advocate
will assist people in completing the papers if they are available.
The Clerk will provide packets or assist if necessary.
When a PPO case is filed the Clerk copies the papers and takes
the file to the Judge. The Judge either grants the order, denies
it or sets a hearing. The Clerk runs copies of the order or
notice of hearing. The petitioner must make arrangements to
have respondent served with the papers. The Clerk serves the
Sheriff's Department with a copy of the PPO after it is signed
and re-serves the Sheriff's Department after the filing of
a proof of service showing that the respondent has been served
with a copy of the PPO. |
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| The
penalty for violating a PPO is: |
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|
Maximum
93 days in jail and or |
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Maximum
$500.00 fine |
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| Types
of Personal Protection Orders |
|
|
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| Domestic |
| To
qualify for a Domestic Relationship PPO, you MUST establish
one of the following relationships with the respondent: |
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Current
or former spouse |
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Current
or former dating relationship |
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Reside
or resided in the same household |
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A
child in common |
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| Non-Domestic |
| To
qualify for a Non-Domestic PPO, you are NOT required to show
a relationship with the Respondent. Instead, you must establish
that the Respondent has shown: |
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A
pattern of behavior |
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...including
at least two separate stalking incidents |
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...that
would cause a resonable person to feel terrorized, threatened,
frightened, intimidated, harassed, or molested |
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...and
that the incidents actually did cause the Petitioner to feel
terrorized, threatened, frightened, intimidated, harassed,
or molested. |
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| If
you do not meet these requirements, you still may be eligible
for a Peace Bond, which is available at the District Court
Clerk's Office. Peace Bonds are often used for neighbor and
non-violent family disputes not covered by the PPO law. |
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