What is a No Contact Order?

People often confuse “No Contact Orders” with Superior Court Domestic Violence protection or restraining orders.  No contact orders are issued in criminal cases that have been filed. There are pre-trial no contact orders that protect the victim of a crime pending a trial. There are post-trial or sentencing no contact orders which are issued after a defendant is found guilty or pleads guilty. If the charges are dismissed or the defendant is found not guilty, then the pre-trial no contact order is dismissed as well. This is why it is important to also have a Domestic Violence Protection Order or a Restraining Order in your family court case.

No Contact Orders Lifted

On occasion, a defendant may file a motion in a criminal case to have the no contact order lifted. The prosecutor handles these hearings. However, on a number of occasions, I have assisted the prosecutor in providing the evidence that was developed in the family court case to argue against any lifting or dismissal of the criminal no contact order. Protection orders and restraining orders are two types of no contact orders.