Restraining Orders

When a judge is deciding whether to issue a risk protection order and a warrant to remove a person’s firearms, the judge must consider the person’s:

• recent threats or acts of violence towards himself/herself or other people; and
• recent acts of cruelty to animals.¹

When deciding if these recent threats or acts of violence provide probable cause to believe that the person poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself or to others, the judge can consider the person’s:

• reckless (irresponsible) use, display, or flaunting of a firearm or other deadly weapon;
• history of use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against other people;
• prior involuntary commitment in a hospital for people with psychiatric disabilities; and
• illegal use of drugs or abuse of alcohol.¹

¹ C.G.S. § 29-38c(c)