Appearing in Court For a Connecticut Protective Order Violation

In most cases, the criminal protective order at issue has been ordered in connection with a previous Connecticut domestic violence arrest which is currently pending against you for Disorderly Conduct, Assault in the Third Degree, or Interfering with a 911 Call. A Connecticut civil restraining order could also be in effect as a result of a restraining order hearing in the Connecticut family courts. Whether you are subject to a Connecticut criminal protective order or a Connecticut civil restraining order, the actual forms and conditions of these orders are identical. As any top Connecticut criminal law firm could explain, there are 3 kinds of Connecticut protective and restraining orders: (1) Full No Contact Orders, (2) Full / Residential Stay-Away Orders, or (3) Partial or Limited Orders.

What to Expect

If you were previously arrested for a Connecticut domestic violence crime then your first court date for your Violation of Criminal Protective Order under CGS 53a-223 will be very similar to that experience. Before your appearance in front of a judge (called the “arraignment”), you will ordered to meet with a Family Relations Officer who will conduct an intensive risk-assessment interview with you, question you about your arrest, and then make a recommendation to the judge about the additional Connecticut protective restraining order that may be issued against you. That’s correct—you can actually have 2 protective / restraining orders hanging over your head, both of which will show up during any background check and cause you to be detained by law enforcement at border crossings and routine traffic stops. You will quickly discover that Family Relations Officers take Violating Restraining Order arrests very seriously, and your meeting with them may actually feel like an interrogation. Remember everything you say to them can be repeated to the judge, so make sure you are accompanied by a criminal lawyer at your meeting with Family Relations.

Next Steps

After you meet with Family Relations, you will then be ordered to report back to the courtroom around 12 noon for your arraignment. The criminal attorneys and lawyers can explain that this quick court appearance will feel like a gauntlet of legal procedures, recommendations and court orders. The judge will hear from several parties: the Family Relations Officer, the Bail Commissioner, the State’s Attorney (or prosecutor), the victim (or his / her victim’s attorney), and the Domestic Violence Victim Advocate. And after all of these parties have a chance to weigh in with the judge and tell the judge how they feel about your arrest (even though most of these parties have not even met you), you or your top Connecticut criminal lawyer will have just a few minutes to make your case to the judge as to why another protective orders should not be imposed, and why additional conditions of release such as a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet device, AIC, random alcohol or drug testing, or anger management should NOT be ordered upon you.

Importance of An Attorney

The stakes are high at your first court date for a Connecticut Violation of Criminal Protective Order arrest. Once a court orders a condition like a GPS ankle bracelet, random alcohol and drug testing, or participation in AIC, it can take months for the court to terminate these kinds of conditions. So don’t try and go it alone to court. Call a Connecticut domestic violence criminal lawyer at who can assist you on short notice and appear with you at criminal court on the next business morning. Our goal is simple—getting your felony arrest for Violating a Protective / Restraining Order dismissed as quickly as possible. Call us today at (203) 276-9443. We are available 24/7 to take your call.

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