Individuals in St. Louis take out protective orders for a number of reasons. Individuals who believe someone in their life is capable of hurting them may seek an order to avoid potential trouble. Those who have been the victim of rape or another violent crime may seek an order against the person accused of the crime; in some cases, this may help the victim feel safe as a criminal case unfolds.
A protective order doesn’t always make sense to the person being ordered to maintain distance, though. In some cases, the accused individual is innocent of the crime, and may want to help clear his or her name by talking to the victim to clear up a misunderstanding. In other cases, a crime may not have occurred yet, and the person being kept away by an order of protection may not understand why the other party feels threatened.
In any case involving a protective order, it isn’t advisable to take matters into your own hands and seek a confrontation with the other party outside of legal channels. No matter how much you feel a discussion is warranted, it is unlikely to help. In fact, violating a protective order in itself is a crime and can cause new charges to be levied against you. A second violation of a protective order in Missouri may even be a felony charge.
Sometimes circumstances lead to a violation of an order without malice. Regardless of why a violation occurred, a strong defense is essential to protecting your future. Our page on order of protection violation provides some information about protective orders and the first steps to creating a strong, expert defense when charged with a violation.
Source: Sindel Richard H. Sindel, Inc. PC, “St. Louis Order Of Protection Violation Lawyers” Sep. 12, 2014
