Restraining Orders

You can call the police if that is a safe option for you, even if you think it is a minor violation. It can be a crime and contempt of court if the abuser knowingly violates the order in any way. Contempt of court is when someone breaks a court order. A judge can punish someone for being in contempt of court.

If the police have good cause to believe that you have been assaulted within the past 12 hours by the abuser, they may immediately arrest the abuser.¹ In addition, you may take the abuser back to court on a charge of contempt.

It is a good idea to write down the name of the responding officer(s) and their badge number in case you want to follow up on your case.

For more information about contempt, including the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt, go to our general Domestic Violence Restraining Orders page.

¹ N.H. Rev. Stat. § 173-B:9