If you’ve been charged with Violating a Protection Order in Weld County, you’re likely feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what comes next. These charges are taken seriously by law enforcement and prosecutors throughout Greeley, Evans, Windsor, Fort Lupton, Johnstown, Milliken, Severance, Firestone, and Frederick and the consequences can be swift and severe. Below are answers to the questions we hear most often.
Greeley Violation of a Protection Order Lawyer: What Is a Protection Order in Colorado?
A protection order is a court-issued directive that restricts one person’s contact with another. In Colorado, there are several types:
- Civil protection orders — obtained through civil court, often in domestic disputes or harassment situations
- Criminal protection orders — automatically issued as a condition of bond when someone is arrested for Domestic Violence, Assault, Stalking, or a related offense
All of them carry the force of law. Violating any of them, even a temporary or emergency order, is a criminal offense in Colorado.
What Counts as a Violation of a Protection Order in Windsor?
This is one of the most important questions, because violations are often less obvious than people expect. A protection order typically prohibits:
- Any direct contact — calls, texts, emails, or showing up in person
- Indirect contact — sending messages through a third party, including mutual friends or family members
- Coming within a certain distance of the protected person’s home, workplace, or school
- Possessing firearms (a federal requirement that accompanies most domestic violence-related protection orders)
One of the most common mistakes people make is believing that if the protected person reaches out first, responding is acceptable. It is not. The order applies to you, regardless of what the other party does. If the protected person texts you and you respond, you can be charged with a violation even though they initiated contact.
What Are the Penalties for Violating a Protection Order in Colorado?
Under Colorado law, a first violation of a protection order is a Class 2 misdemeanor, carrying up to 120 days in jail and fines up to $750. However, the penalties escalate quickly:
- A second or subsequent violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and fines up to $1,000
- If the violation involves physical assault or threats, additional felony charges such as Assault or Menacing may be filed alongside the protection order violation
- Violation of a protection order almost always results in immediate arrest — Colorado law specifically authorizes officers to make a warrantless arrest upon probable cause that a protection order has been violated
In Weld County, prosecutors treat these charges seriously.
Will I Lose My Bond If I’m Charged with a Violation of a Protection Order in Weld County?
Almost certainly. In Colorado, most protection orders are issued as a condition of bond from an underlying case. If you violate that order, prosecutors will typically file a motion to revoke your bond, and a judge can order you held without bond until your underlying case is resolved. This means you could be sitting in the Weld County Jail for weeks or months while your case moves through the court system.
Can the Protected Person Drop the Charges or the Protection Order?
No. This is one of the most persistent misconceptions in protection order cases. The state of Colorado, not the alleged victim, brings the charges. Even if the protected person tells the prosecutor they don’t want to proceed, the District Attorney’s Office can and often does move forward anyway. The protected person’s cooperation (or lack of it) may affect the strength of the evidence, but it does not end the case.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Charged in Erie or Evans?
First: do not contact the protected person under any circumstances, even to explain yourself or apologize. Every contact is a potential new charge. Second: do not try to resolve this on your own. Protection order violations in Weld County move quickly through the system, and the decisions made in the first few days, especially at your initial appearance, can have lasting consequences.
An experienced criminal defense attorney can review the terms of the order, challenge whether the alleged contact actually constituted a violation, investigate whether your constitutional rights were respected during the arrest, and advocate for your release and for the best possible outcome on the underlying charges.
Charged in Greeley, Evans, Windsor, or Anywhere in Weld County?
If you or someone you love has been charged with Violation of a Protection Order, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 to schedule a free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
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