No Papered: A Washington DC DUI Lawyer Blog
In DC, a Civil Protection Order (CPO) is very similar to a restraining order. Its a court order that requires a person to do or not to do certain acts. For example, if your ex-spouse is harassing or stalking you, you can file a petition with the court to order your ex-spouse to have no contact with you.
The person who files for a CPO is called the “Petitioner.” The person who a CPO is filed against is called the “Respondent.” Any person can file for a CPO if they feel like they need to protect themselves against someone they have an “intrafamily relationship” with. In general, a CPO will require the respondent to stay at least 100 feet away from the petitioner at all times and to have no contact with the petitioner—including electronic and social media communications. It also usually bars communicating with the person through ha third-party. The terms of a CPO can vary depending on a petitioner’s situation.