The police come to your home or your place of business.  They say that they need to speak with you, or maybe casually ask if they can “take a look around.”  They’re friendly, non-threatening, and tell you they have a few questions and just want your help clearing up a few things.  They may even […]

In the District of Columbia, the process for getting a restraining order (or as how it’s called here, a Civil Protection Order or “CPO”), can be difficult without having an experienced attorney to help guide you through the process.  However, the court does have resources available for filing CPOs without an attorney.  And we’ve put […]

In the District of Columbia, a civil protection order (“CPO”) requires that the person who is subject to the order (the respondent) stay away from the petitioner – the person requesting protection. A protection order is issued by the court and directs the respondent to refrain from abusing, harassing, threatening, committing a crime, or having […]

A year ago, you were brought to court by an ex spouse or significant other, or perhaps a family member. Maybe you consented to the entry of a Civil Protection Order (CPO), or maybe the judge entered an order after a hearing.  One year has almost passed, and you’ve done everything the order required. You […]

Civil Protection Orders (CPO) can cause the recipient many headaches, but perhaps nothing hits closer to home than being banned from your own house or apartment. While this is a common condition of a CPO issued in Washington, D.C. or Virginia, it is most commonly seen in cases where the petitioner and respondent are actually […]

If a judge finds that there is “good cause,” to believe that a person (the respondent) has committed or threatened to commit a crime against another (the petitioner), a judge may issue a Civil Protection Order against that person. D.C. Code 16-1005(c) Most often issued in the context of a domestic violence situation, a Protection Order […]