No Contact Orders

Domestic Violence No Contact Orders

 

No contact orders are orders that are issued by a judge which prohibit contact by one party against another.  Violation of a no contact order can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the order, prior convictions, and the nature of the offense.  There are four types of protection orders in Washington, which often used interchangeably:

        • No Contact Orders are issued in domestic violence cases pursuant to RCW 10.99, often as soon as a person is arrested on an alleged charge. The no contact order prohibits the defendant from contacting the alleged victim. A violation of the order can result in serious criminal charges.
        • Antiharassment Orders or Civil Antiharassment Orders are entered pursuant to RCW 10.14 and are initiated by a person requesting a petition from the District Court to prohibit a party from harassing or keeping under surveillance the petitioner.
        • Protection Orders or Orders for Protection are entered pursuant to RCW 26.50 in civil domestic violence matters.
        • Restraining Orders refer to orders issued under RCW 26.26 or RCW 26.09, and may also refer to Antiharassment Orders and Protection Orders.

No Contact Orders Issues as Part of a Domestic Violence Crime

No contact orders are the orders used when someone is charged with or convicted of a domestic violence offense.  No contact orders are issued in order to protect the alleged victim of domestic violence and are often put in place against the wishes of the alleged victim.  The result is that the orders end up causing hardship to families and creates an extremely stressful and difficult situation for everyone involved.  These orders can typically expire after 2 or 5 years, but can be issued in certain circumstances, for much longer.  Domestic violence no contact orders are usually issued by a judge immediately after you are charged with a Domestic Violence crime.  Temporary orders are sometimes put in place while you wait to see a judge for the first time.  These orders have the full effect of a permanent order.  When you see a judge for the first time the judge usually puts a no contact order in place while the case is pending.

No contact orders prevent all contact, which includes third-party contact and invited contact.  A very common scenario I see is when a person who has a no contact order against them is invited over to the protected party’s residence and they are discovered by police.  The court has little sympathy even for consensual contact situations.  It is important to take these orders seriously and to contact a qualified attorney if you have any questions about the order.

Violation of a domestic violence no contact orders comes with serious consequences.  A violation is either a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances of the contact and the number of prior convictions you have.   A conviction will also result in probation, domestic violence classes, loss of firearm rights, costly fines and fees and other serious penalties.

 

Contact Domestic Violence Defense Attorney Kris Carrasco

Hire an experienced Domestic Violence attorney to help you with your no contact order. Whether it is lifting the no contact order as fast as possible or learning how to defend against a charge based on a violation, contact Kris Carrasco to discuss your domestic violence or no contact order issue. Kris Carrasco is thoroughly experienced in handling no contact orders and other domestic violence charges. Contact him today for a free case evaluation.