February 9, 2016

One of the most common domestic violence crimes committed in Washington is the abuse of a court-imposed No Contact Order. There are a variety of ways that this could be abused, but the simple fact is that No Contact Orders have a history of not being respected or adhered to.

 

Types of No Contact Orders

There are several ways that a No Contact Order could be violated. A few of these could be having any kind of contact with a person protected by a No Contact Order, a Restraining Order or an Order of Anti-Harassment. These rules will outline the types of contact forbidden through:

  •    Direct contact with the protected person or party through in-person contact, text messages, emails or phone calls
  •    Indirect contact with the protected party by convincing someone to communicate with the protected party
  •    Contact through a third person
  •    Being in a prohibited place
  •    Being within a prohibited distance

 

Regardless of the type of order or form of contact, it is a criminal offense not to follow through on the ruling made by the judge.

 

Domestic Violence

Just violating any of these orders does not make it a domestic violence crime itself. For that to happen, the order has to be one that protects a member of a family, household member, or someone in a dating or marriage relationship.

 

Proof of Conduct

In order for there to be follow through on someone violating a No Contact Order, there needs to be evidence that there was, in fact, a valid court order in place limiting contact, that everyone involved in the court order was notified, and that there was actually a violation of the order.

 

Violation of No Contact Orders

If someone violates an NCO and there was not an assault, the violation is considered a misdemeanor. If there were more than two previous convictions for similar violations or if the violation included assault, then the contact made would be considered a felony.

 

The Nahajski Firm is experienced in helping everyone understand the boundaries and classifications of each type of No Contact Order. Contact or call the Nahajski Firm at 206-621-0500 for a free consultation.