restraining orders?

[graycie]

does anyone know the process of obtaining one, specifically in the state of Pennsylvania?

I've all ready contacted my township police department and they said a complaint would have to be filed and then it would go through the county courthouse. after it gets to that point is when i have no idea what the process is.

oh, and this isn't for me its for a friend of mine that used to live in my area but now lives out of state. a ghetto ex bf of hers from like 8 years ago still calls her parents house to find her, and most recently learned how to write letters.

[1stdeadeye]

They have to file a complaint. They can then ask the District Attorney's office for one. Or they can hire their own attorney to file a request for a restraining order for them (The faster and better route to do this).

Are the calls and letters obscene? If not and they are just a bother, don't be too sure about getting one.

Good luck to your friend. As for her parents-Change to an UNLISTED number!

[Caffiend]

Re: restraining orders?

Originally posted by graycie
and most recently learned how to write letters.

LOL!

I have no experience with restraining orders and such, but best of luck with it and if they don't get one, take deadeye's advice and have her parents change their number (unlisted of course) and maybe get caller id. and do her parents know she doesn't want to talk to the guy? why do they keep telling them where she is?

[cphilip]

It does vary from state to state. But here in SC its rather a pain to get one. Seems there has to be at least two incidents within a certain period of time. And then a Judge CAN issue one or not. Seems they are precluded from doing so if there are not two incidents to work with.

Recently a young lady was killed by her ex boyfriend and father of her child. She was taken hostage in a grocery store by him and he then shot her when she tried to run. He was apprehended right after that. He had previously been arrested for beating her up in the very same parking lot of the store she worked in and was later killed in. A few months before this. And after the first incident she sought a restraining order. But was denied because there had only been one incident. And everyone was in an uproar over it but there was nothing the Judge could do because that was the law. There are now efforts underway to rewrite that law to consider the severity of the first incident and allow granting them on one incident which involves battery. But time will tell if that passes.

Now all that being said, no restraining order would have protected this young lady. A person intent on doing harm cares not if he is violating the law.

So there is nothing a piece of paper can do for you if someone intends harm. Now I would consider legal action other than that as well. You could file civil suit against this person and go after him. Turn the tide so to speak. Or do what has been suggested as well. But do keep a log and document all this stuff. And learn to shoot a gun. And get a Concealed Weapons Permit. Sometimes you have to protect yourself. No one can do it for you in some cases.

[PyRo]

There are a reason they are hard to get. There have been cases where people actually used a restraining order to get someone in trouble by tricking them into unknowingly violoating it then calling the police.
What happens if someone in the same college as me got a restraing order against me for somthing. Would I have to leave school? And if I didn't my schedule would have to be worked so I wouldn't be near them, busses, and just being around town could be a problem, basically it would force me to leave the college. Thats why they can be a PITA to get when you really need them because some people decided to abuse it and use them as a weapon to screw up someones life.

[Thordic]

My aunt from PA tried to get one against her ex-bf and had trouble. He even went to the trouble of slashing her tires and they still didn't issue one.

I have a lot of cousins, though, some of which are exceptionally large, and the point was eventually made clear to him that he had better wisen up before something bad happened to him.