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Restraining Orders

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Actualizada: 
15 de noviembre de 2023

What is an interpersonal protective order?

An interpersonal protective order is a civil court order that protects you from an abuser if you are a victim of:

If you do not fit into these categories, you can check our Protective Orders / Domestic Violence Orders to see if you qualify for that type of order instead.

1 KRS § 456.030(1)

What is the legal definition of dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, and stalking?

Dating violence and abuse is when someone who you are/were dating commits any of the following: 

  1. physical injury;
  2. serious physical injury;
  3. stalking;
  4. sexual assault; 
  5. strangulation; 
  6. puts you in fear of immediate (imminent) physical injury, serious physical injury, stalking, sexual assault, or strangulation;
  7. commits cruelty to animals in the 1st or 2nd degree;
  8. commits the crime called torturing a dog or cat
  9. commits sexual crimes against an animal; or
  10. makes you fear that the acts listed in numbers 7, 8, and 9 will immediately be committed against a domestic animal with which you have a close bond in order to coerce, control, punish, intimidate you or to get revenge against you.1

Sexual assault means an act of rape, sodomy, incest, or sexual abuse in any degree or a criminal attempt, conspiracy, facilitation, or solicitation to commit any of those crimes.2 The law covers all of the crimes in Chapter 510 of the Penal Code, which you can find on our Selected Kentucky Statutes page. To qualify for an interpersonal protective order, the sexual assault can be committed by a dating partner or a non-dating partner.

Stalking is defined as the actions described in the crimes of stalking in the first degree or stalking in the second degree or a criminal attempt, conspiracy, facilitation, or solicitation to commit either of those crimes.3 To qualify for an interpersonal protective order, the sexual assault can be committed by a dating partner or a non-dating partner.

1 KRS § 456.010(2), (9)
2 KRS § 456.010(7)
3 KRS § 456.010(8)

What types of interpersonal protective orders are there? How long do they last?

There are two types of interpersonal protective orders, temporary and final.

The judge will review your petition for an interpersonal protective order immediately after you file in court.1 If the judge finds that there is an immediate and present danger of dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, the judge can issue an ex parte temporary interpersonal protective order.2 The judge will also schedule a hearing for a final interpersonal protective order within 14 days if the judge believes from reading your petition that dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking has occurred.1

A final interpersonal protective order can only be issued only after the abuser has an opportunity to attend a court hearing in which you and the abuser both have a chance to present evidence, witnesses, testimony, etc. If after a hearing, the judge finds that dating violence and abuse, sexual assault, or stalking has occurred, the judge can issue a final interpersonal protective order that can last up to three years.3 The order may also be renewed – see Can an order be extended? for more information.

1 KRS § 456.040(1)(a)
2 KRS § 456.040(2)(a)
3 KRS § 456.060(1), (3)

What protections can I get in an interpersonal protective order?

In a temporary or final interpersonal protective order, the judge can:

  1. order that the abuser not:
    • commit any acts of dating violence and abuse, stalking, or sexual assault;
    • contact you or another person;
    • throw away or damage any of your property or joint property;
    • come within 500 feet of you or another person;
    • come within a specific distance of your home, school, workplace, or other place you go to frequently; and
    • do anything else that the judge believes could put you in danger offuture acts of dating violence and abuse, stalking, or sexual assault;
  2. give you possession of any shared domestic animal;
  3. order that you and/or the abuser receive counseling services available in the community in cases of dating violence and abuse; and
  4. order the following if you you request them:
    • specifically state which communications are allowed and which are not allowed, which could mean limited communication is OK; and
    • allow you and the abuser to be in a common area together under limited circumstances with specific restrictions laid out by the judge.1

1 KRS §§ 456.040(2)(a)(1), (2)(a)(2); 456.060(1)

Si el agresor vive en otro estado, ¿puedo conseguir una orden en su contra?

Si el/la agresor/a vive en un estado diferente al suyo, el/la juez/a podría no tener “jurisdicción personal” (poder) sobre ese/a agresor/a. Esto significa que es posible que el tribunal no pueda otorgar una orden en contra de él/ella.

Hay algunas formas en las que una corte puede tener jurisdicción personal sobre un/a agresor/a que es de otro estado:

  1. El/la agresor/a tiene una conexión sustancial a su estado. Quizás el/la agresor/a viaja regularmente a su estado para visitarlo/a, por negocios, para ver la familia extendida, o el/la agresor/a vivía en su estado y huyó recientemente.
  2. Uno de los actos de maltrato “ocurrió” en su estado. Quizás el/la agresor/a le envía mensajes amenazantes o le hace llamadas acosadoras desde otro estado pero usted lee los mensajes o contesta las llamadas mientras usted está en su estado. El/la juez/a puede decidir que el maltrato “ocurrió” mientras estaba en su estado. También puede ser posible que el/la agresor/a estaba en su estado cuando le maltrató pero desde entonces se fue del estado.
  3. Otra forma para que la corte adquiera jurisdicción es si usted presenta su petición en el estado donde usted está, y el/la agresor/a recibe notificación de la petición de la corte mientras él/ella está en ese estado.

Sin embargo, aunque nada de esto aplique a su situación, eso no necesariamente significa que usted no pueda conseguir una orden. A usted le pueden dar una orden por consentimiento o el/la juez/a puede encontrar otras circunstancias que permitan que la orden sea dada. Puede leer más sobre jurisdicción personal en nuestra sección de Asuntos Básicos del Sistema Judicial - Jurisdicción Personal.

Nota: Si el/la juez/a de su estado se niega a dar una orden, usted puede pedir una orden en la corte del estado donde vive el/la agresor/a. Sin embargo, recuerde que es probable que usted necesite presentar la petición en persona y asistir a varias citas en la corte, lo cual podría ser difícil si el estado de el/la agresor/a es lejos.