Orders Against Me

IMPORTANT: If someone has filed a protection order against you, carefully read all the paperwork you receive about the case. 

If the Judge Issues a Temporary Protection Order Against You: 

You should obey all of the terms of that order. Remember that the order restricts your behavior not the other person’s behavior, so it is up to you to make sure that you comply with the Order (for example, if the judge orders you to stay away, you have to make sure you are not near them, they do not have to change their behavior so that they are not near you). 

If you want to file an answer and respond to the charges made in the request for the order, you should go to the Domestic Violence Clerk’s Office, in room 4510 of the Moultrie Courthouse, at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Washington DC

Additional Information:

• Show up to any court hearings on time. Remember that there are lines to get into the courthouse, so arrive early.
• If you cannot come to court on the day you have been ordered to appear, you can ask for a continuance. Remember you have to come to court unless the court date is changed by the Court.
• If you believe the allegations made about you are not true, bring witnesses and evidence. Evidence Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the factfinder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other. that contradict the allegations made by the petitioner.
• Sit in the opposite side from where the person who requested the order is sitting in the courtroom
• An attorney negotiator will meet with you just before your hearing. Pay close attention to all the information that he or she gives you. Ask questions if you do not understand, but remember that the attorney negotiator is not your attorney.
• If you were arrested and charged with a crime related to the incidents in the request for a protection order, make sure to tell your lawyer that someone has requested a protection order against you.