Restraining Orders

Often times when a person files for a protection order, s/he is given an ex parte temporary order which is effective when served upon the respondent and then a court date is set at which the respondent has a chance to appear and present his/her side – after that court date, the judge can issue a final, long term protection order. Often, if the respondent cannot be served, the court hearing may be postponed for a later date to allow for another attempt at service. Sometimes, if the petitioner does not show up on the court date, the ex parte temporary order will be dismissed and the case is over. Although I cannot comment on your specific situation, some states may allow a police officer to orally give notice of the specific terms and provisions of order, which can substitute as “service” of the order until the person can be served in person - in that case, the ex parte order can be valid and if the respondent doesn’t appear at the court date that the officer tells him/her about, a final order can be issued in his/her absence. Again, I cannot say how things are done in the specific county in STATE where the order was requested. Perhaps you may be able to consult with a lawyer for advice or sometimes a person may even be able to call the courthouse to see if any order was issued, although an attorney may be able to tell you if that would be harmful or helpful in your case. Here are links for lawyers and courthouses in case you want to contact either one:LINK

And here is information on protection orders in STATE in case that is useful:LINK