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Protection orders can have a profound effect on more than the restrained party
Posted by: Stephanie Rikeman
June 18, 2009

Criminal protection orders are issued automatically in criminal cases pursuant to C.R.S. § 18-1-1001. This protection order prevents a criminal defendant from harassing, molesting, intimidating, retaliating against, or tampering with any witness to or victim of the acts charged. A violation of this protection order is a new class 1 misdemeanor. District attorney's offices charge this quite often as it is oftentimes an easier charge to prove than the offense with which a criminal defendant was originally charged. In domestic violence cases, it is also standard practice to put a strict no contact order in place with the victim, whether that is a girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife. If a defendant's children were present for any of the alleged acts, quite often the protection order will prevent contact with the defendant's children as well. This protection order prevents contact from a criminal defendant even from the jail. If you call the victim from the jail, this is a new misdemeanor charge that can be filed against you. Until the Court allows a modification of this condition of bond, there must be NO CONTACT whatsoever-by phone, in person, by mail, by email, by text, or through third parties.

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