Protection Order Attorney Boulder County
What happens When You Receive a Protection Order?

Have you been unfairly given a Protection Order in Boulder County? Contact the O'Malley Law Office today for a free consultation.

In Boulder County, Colorado, there are many ways a Mandatory Protection Order can be put into place against someone. If your girlfriend or boyfriend calls police about a Domestic Violence dispute, then automatically, whoever called is the “victim” and the “attacker” will receive an automatic arrest and be given a Protection Order. This happens in 90% of the DV calls.  There are various parts that make up a Protection Order, which if violated, result in a person also getting a misdemeanor charge on top of whatever the original offense was.

What is a Protection Order and What does it do in Greeley?

To clarify, in Greeley, a Protection Order is exactly what it sounds like. It is a legal order that is put in place to protect one person from another. Generally, this comes in the form of a No-Contact Order.  Under C.R.S. 18-1-1001, a Protection Order is created to:

Restrain the person charged from harassing, molesting, intimidating, retaliating against, or tampering with any witness to or victim of the acts charged.

What Does Having a Protection Order Mean for my Rights in Weld County?

Furthermore, in Weld County, various provisions can be added to any Protection Order depending on the circumstances of the Order.  Common elements are listed below. These provisions are not automatically attached to every Protection Order. Some of these subsections can even be appealed to be removed from the Protection Order. Below is the list of provisions the Weld County Court can add to a Protection Order:

(a) An order to vacate or stay away from the home of the alleged victim or witness and to stay away from any other location where the victim or witness is likely to be found (this could be your house too – even a house which you completely own);

(b) An order to refrain from contact or direct or indirect communication with the alleged victim or witness;

(c) An order prohibiting possession or control of firearms or other weapons;

(d) An order prohibiting possession or consumption of alcohol or controlled substances; and

(e)  An order prohibiting the taking, transferring, concealing, harming, disposing of, or threatening to harm an animal owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by an alleged victim or witness; and

(f) Any other order the court deems appropriate to protect the safety of the alleged victim or witness.

Therefore, if your Protection Order contains these restraints, it means your rights are limited. If you live or have children with the victim, then you might have to move out and you would not be allowed to see them. This would affect your right to purchase and own guns. If you and the “victim” frequent the same places, then you would no longer be allowed to visit your friends or these places. If your girlfriend and you have a dog together, but the dog is under her name, then you would have no rights to take your best friend with you. In addition to all of these, the court can also place further restrictions on you if they see fit. Having a trusted Protection Order lawyer on your side is vital to limiting these ridiculous restrictions placed on you.

What if I Violate the Protection Order in Longmont or Erie?

If you are caught violating the Protection Order in Longmont, Colorado, then you could be charged with an additional misdemeanor. Generally, if you are caught violating the Protection Order, Erie police and Longmont police will charge you with a class 2 misdemeanor. They can also potentially charge you with a class 1 misdemeanor depending on the circumstances of the original Protection Order and if you have been caught violating it before. Violating a Protection Order also results in your arrest or a warrant for your arrest.

If you are charged with a class 2 misdemeanor, that means you possibly could get:

  • a fine between $250 and $1,000
  • Weld County Jail time between 3 months and 12 months

If you or a loved one has been given a Protection Order in Boulder County, be smart. Contact the best Protection Order attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 to schedule your free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash