A Restraining order is a form of legal injunction. The term is most commonly used in reference to domestic violence, harassment, stalking or sexual assault. Each state has some form of domestic violence restraining order law,[1] and many states also have specific restraining order laws for stalking[2] and sexual assault.[3]
A restraining order is a legal order issued by a state court which requires one person to stop
harming another person. It is also sometimes called a Protection Order, Order of Protection, Protection from Abuse Order,
Protective Order or some other similar name.
JIM MCRORYHE IS THE ONE PERSON WHO CANNOT PUT A RESTRAINING
ORDER AGAINST CAROLINE E. MCRORY (NEE) KENNEDY
In Australia the term is Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) or Intervention Order [4]
Restraining order/protection order laws establish who can file for an order, what protection
or relief a person can get from such an order, and how the order will be enforced.
While there are differences from state to state, all protective order statutes permit the court
to order the abuser to stay away from someone, their home, their workplace or their school ("stay away" provisions) and to
stop contacting them.
Victims generally also can ask the court to order that all contact, whether by telephone,
notes, mail, fax, email or delivery of flowers or gifts, is prohibited ("no contact" provisions).
Courts can also order the abuser to stop hurting or threatening someone("cease abuse" provisions).
Some states also allow the court to order the abuser to pay temporary support or continue to
make mortgage payments on a home owned by both people ("support" provisions), to award sole use of a home or car owned by
both people ("exclusive use" provisions), or to pay for medical costs or property damage caused by the abuser ("restitution"
provisions).
Some courts might also be able to order the abuser to turn over any firearms and ammunition
he or she has ("relinquish firearms" provisions), attend a batterers' treatment program, appear for regular drug tests, or
start alcohol or drug abuse counseling.
Many jurisdictions also allow the court to make decisions about the care and safety of the
children.
Courts can order the abuser to stay away from and have no contact with the children's doctors,
daycare, school or after-school job.
Most courts can make temporary child custody decisions, although many courts are reluctant to do so. Some can issue visitation or child support orders.
A victim can also ask the court to order supervised visitation, or to specify a safe arrangement
for transferring the children back and forth ("custody, visitation and child support" provisions).
When the abuser does something that the court has ordered him or her not to do, or fails to
do something the court has ordered him or her to do, that is a violation of the order.
The victim can ask the police or the court, or both, depending on the violation, to enforce
the order.
Restraining orders may also be enforced across state lines. This is called granting "full faith
and credit" to a qualifed order.[5]
Some states (for example, Mississippi[6]) may also call a restraining order a peace bond.
SEE LINK FOR RESTRAINING ORDER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restraining_order