What is a PPO?

A civil order with criminal and civil contempt powers. PPOs are circuit court orders that prohibit a person from doing particular things to or regarding a protected individual. The person filing is the petitioner and the person against whom a PPO is filed is the respondent. A PPO may order the respondent not to:

Enter your property.
Assault, attack, beat or wound you.
Threaten to kill or physically harm you.
Remove children from you if you have legal custody.
Interfere at your place of employment.
Interfere with your efforts to remove your children or personal property.
Contact you by telephone.
Send you mail (including electronic mail).
Purchase or possess a firearm.

What is the penalty for violating a PPO?

The penalties for violating a PPO are maximum 93 days in jail and/or maximum $500 fine.”

General paperwork for all PPOs

Personal Protection Orders

There are 3 types of Personal Protection Orders (PPO):

Domestic PPO - To qualify for a domestic PPO you must establish that you have one of the following relationships with the respondent:

A current or former marriage
A current or former dating relationship
A current or former shared residence (i.e. you resided together)
A child in common

Paperwork for Domestic PPO Paperwork for PPO against minors

Domestic Order Domestic Order
Domestic Petition Domestic Petition
Case Inventory Addendum Case Inventory Addendum
Questions for Petitioner Questions for Petitioner

Stalking (Non-Domestic) PPO - To qualify for a stalking (non-domestic) PPO you are not required to show a relationship with the respondent. However, you must establish that the respondent has shown a pattern of behavior including two or more separate incidents that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested and that actually causes the person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed or molested.

Paperwork for Stalking PPO Paperwork for Stalking PPO against minors

Sexual Assault PPO - For a sexual assault PPO there is no relationship requirement. The petitioner must be able to allege facts that demonstrate the respondent has perpetrated or threatened sexual assault against the petitioner. Evidence that a respondent has furnished obscene material to a minor petitioner shall constitute evidence that the respondent has threatened sexual assault against the petitioner. A petitioner may file for a sexual assault PPO regardless of whether the respondent has been charged with or convicted of a sexual assault or substantially similar crime. If the petitioner can show that the respondent does have a criminal conviction for sexual assault or furnishing obscene material to petitioner, the court "shall grant relief" under the non-domestic sexual assault PPO statute.

Paperwork for Sexual Assault PPO Paperwork for Sexual Assault against minors