Most people understand that if they’ve been charged with domestic abuse, they are facing some potentially serious criminal consequences including jail time, large fines and a permanent record.
What they may fail to comprehend, however, is that there will also likely be certain collateral consequences, including the issuance of a protection order that will subject them to a host of real world restrictions.
In today’s post, the first in a series, we’ll start taking a closer look at some basic background information on protective orders here in Tennessee.
In general, state law dictates that any victim of domestic abuse — female or male — can seek to secure a protection order against a certain party provided they have a specific relationship with that person. For example, protection orders can be issued against current/former spouses, current/former boyfriends and girlfriends, and family members, to name only a few.
In order to secure a protection order against any of these parties based on domestic abuse, a person must allege one or more of the following:
- Physical harm
- Attempted physical harm
- Actions that instill a fear of physical harm
- Threats of physical harm
- Property destruction
- Physical restraint
- Threats or actual physical harm to animals owned by the person or their minor child
Tennessee courts can issue two types of protection orders for victims of domestic abuse: temporary protection orders (TPOs) and extended protection orders (EPOs). We’ll examine the circumstances in which these are typically issued in a future post along with the restrictions mandated by each.
If you are facing any sort of charges for domestic abuse, consider speaking with an experienced legal professional who will listen to your side of the story, and work to protect your rights and your future.
