Annual Protection Order Superior Court Report Glossary
This glossary is provided to help with understanding the Annual Protection Order Summary Reports used to track cases and orders filed beginning in 2023.
Case Filings
A filing is the initiation of a case in court by formal submission to the court of a document alleging the facts of a matter and requesting relief. A separate case filing occurs for each criminal and juvenile offender defendant. For a non-criminal case, a separate filing is reported for each complaint or petition filed. Based on the report the Case Count includes criminal and non-criminal case types.
Criminal and Juvenile Offender Filings
Criminal No Contact Orders are court-issued directives that prohibit a defendant in a criminal case from having any contact with a specific person—usually the alleged victim or a witness. These orders are typically put in place as a condition of release, bail, or sentencing to protect the safety and well-being of the protected party. They are contained within the broader context of the criminal case and are enforced as part of the court’s authority over the defendant during the legal proceedings. Violating a No Contact Order can result in additional criminal charges or revocation of release conditions. The case types counted in this category include:
CR - Criminal: This category encompasses cases involving individuals charged with criminal offenses, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
JO – Juvenile Offender: This category pertains to cases involving minors accused of committing criminal offenses, focusing on rehabilitation and appropriate legal consequences for juvenile offenders.
Non-Criminal Filings
Protection and restraining orders can be filed in non-criminal cases to prevent harassment, domestic violence, stalking, or other harmful behavior. These orders are issued by a judge or commissioner and do not require the respondent (restrained party) to have a criminal charge or conviction. The person seeking protection, called the petitioner, must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that protection is necessary. If granted, the respondent must follow the terms of the order; violations can result in arrest and potential criminal charges. The case types counted in this category include:
CV - Civil: This category encompasses general civil matters, including disputes between individuals or organizations over legal duties and responsibilities.
DO - Domestic: This category includes cases related to domestic relations, such as divorce, child custody, and support issues.
FM - Family: This category involves cases pertaining to family law matters, including parenting plans, paternity, and other related issues.
PG – Probate/Guardianship: This category covers cases involving the administration of estates, wills, trusts, and the appointment of guardians for minors or incapacitated adults.
MI – Mental Illness: This category includes cases related to the involuntary commitment or treatment of individuals with mental health conditions.
AP – Adoption: This category encompasses legal proceedings for the adoption of individuals, establishing a legal parent-child relationship.
JD – Juvenile Dependency: This category involves cases where the court determines whether a juvenile is dependent due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and may involve placing the child in foster care or other protective measures.
Court Order Types
Criminal No Contact Orders
In Washington State, Criminal No-Contact Orders are legal directives issued by courts to protect victims or witnesses from contact with defendants during criminal proceedings. These orders are commonly employed in cases involving domestic violence, harassment, stalking, or other offenses where the court determines that such protection is necessary.
DVP - Domestic Violence Protection: To protect against domestic violence or threat of violence by an “intimate partner” or a “family or household member.” Domestic violence may include controlling behavior (“coercive control”). Petitioners may seek protection for themselves and for family or household members who are minors or vulnerable adults.
HNO - Harassment No Contact Order: To protect against unlawful, repeated invasions of a person’s privacy, including through stalking, by acts and threats which show a pattern of harassment designed to coerce, intimidate, or humiliate the victim. The crime must be reported, and the defendant has to be charged before a court can issue this order.
HTP - Human Trafficking/Promoting Prostitution NCO (Effective 7/23/2017): Designed to protect victims and witnesses involved in criminal cases related to human trafficking and promoting prostitution.
NCODV - No Contact Order - Domestic Violence (criminal): To protect a victim against future violence or threats of abuse by the defendant. The abuse must be reported, and the defendant has to be charged before a court can issue this order.
NCO - No Contact Order (criminal): Typically issued in criminal cases to prevent the defendant from contacting the victim during the duration of the case and sometimes as part of the sentencing. Unlike civil protection orders, no action from the victim is required to initiate this order.
STK - Stalking Protection Order: To protect against stalking behavior that serves no lawful purpose and has reasonably caused the protected person to feel intimidated, frightened, under duress, significantly disrupted, or threatened. The respondent either knows or should know that their behavior causes those feelings, even if that was not respondent's intent.
SXP - Sexual Assault Protection Order: To protect a victim of nonconsensual sexual conduct or penetration, even if the conduct or penetration only occurred once. A single incident of nonconsensual sexual conduct or nonconsensual sexual penetration is sufficient grounds for a petition for a sexual assault protection order.
TSK - Temporary Stalking Protection Order: Offers immediate protection to individuals experiencing stalking behaviors, effective until a court can conduct a full hearing.
TSX - Temporary Sexual Assault Protection Order: Provides short-term protection for victims of nonconsensual sexual conduct, in effect until a court hearing for a permanent order.
Non-Criminal Full Orders
In Washington State, Non-Criminal Full Orders refer to civil protection orders issued by the court after a hearing, providing long-term relief to individuals seeking protection from various forms of harm or harassment. Unlike temporary or ex parte orders, which are granted without the restrained person's presence and offer immediate but short-term protection, full orders are established after both parties have the opportunity to present their cases in court. These orders can last for a year or longer, depending on the specifics of the case and the judge's or commissioner’s determination.
AHO - Anti-Harassment Protection Order: To protect against unwanted contact or behavior that causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate or lawful purpose. The contact could be a pattern of behavior that occurs over time, or a single act or threat of violence. The contact must be directed specifically at the protected person and be seriously alarming, annoying, harassing, or detrimental.
DCD - Decree with Protection Order: Refers to a final court order—typically in a family law case like divorce or legal separation—that includes a protection order as part of the decree. This protection order may limit contact between the parties to ensure safety and prevent harassment, abuse, or intimidation after the case concludes.
DVP - Domestic Violence Protection Order: To protect against domestic violence or threat of violence by an “intimate partner” or a “family or household member.” Domestic violence may include controlling behavior (“coercive control”). Petitioners may seek protection for themselves and for family or household members who are minors or vulnerable adults.
ERX - Extreme Risk Protection Order (effective 7/1/2022): To restrain a respondent who poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others by having in their custody or control, purchasing, possessing, accessing, or receiving a firearm where there is reasonable fear of future dangerous acts by the respondent.
EXU - Extreme Risk Protection Order - Respondent Under 18 Years (effective 7/1/2022): To restrain a respondent under the age of 18 who poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others by having in their custody or control, purchasing, possessing, accessing, or receiving a firearm where there is reasonable fear of future dangerous acts by the respondent.
PRO - Protection Order: A civil directive issued by a court to prohibit the restrained person from contacting or approaching the protected individual as well as other relief.
POR - Protection Order Renewal/Reissue: An order extending or renewing an existing protection order. This is accomplished by filing a motion within 90 days before the order's expiration. The court is required to grant the renewal unless the respondent demonstrates a significant change in circumstances indicating they will not resume harmful acts when the order expires.
RSO - Restraining Order: A broader civil order often associated with family law cases such as divorce or custody disputes. It can encompass various issues, including property distribution, spousal support, and restrictions on contact between parties.
STK - Stalking Protection Order: To protect against stalking behavior that serves no lawful purpose and has reasonably caused the protected person to feel intimidated, frightened, under duress, significantly disrupted, or threatened. The respondent either knows or should know that their behavior causes those feelings, even if that was not respondent's intent.
SXP - Sexual Assault Protection Order: To protect a victim of nonconsensual sexual conduct or penetration, even if the conduct or penetration only occurred once, or commercial sexual exploitation. A single incident of nonconsensual sexual conduct or nonconsensual sexual penetration is sufficient grounds for a petition for a sexual assault protection order.
VAPO - Vulnerable Adult Protection Order: To protect a vulnerable adult who has been abandoned, abused, financially exploited, or neglected, or is threatened with abandonment, abuse, financial exploitation, or neglect by respondent. The vulnerable adult, guardian, or other interested person may file on behalf of the vulnerable adult.
Non-Criminal Ex parte and Temporary orders
An ex parte action is judicial action on behalf of one party, without notice or an opportunity to be heard by adversely interested persons. Such an action may take place on or off the bench and does not necessarily result in a signed order. In civil protection cases, ex parte actions may lead to temporary orders that provide immediate protection until a full hearing can be held with all parties present.
TAH - Temporary Anti-Harassment Protection Order: Provides immediate, short-term protection from unlawful harassment until a full court hearing can be held.
TPR - Temporary Protection Order: A broad term for an interim order offering protection from harm or harassment, effective until a scheduled court hearing determines if a longer-term order is necessary.
TRO - Temporary Restraining Order: An order issued to prevent potential harm or changes before a full hearing, commonly used in family law cases like divorce or custody disputes.
TSK - Temporary Stalking Protection Order: Offers immediate protection to individuals experiencing stalking behaviors, effective until a court can conduct a full hearing.
TSX - Temporary Sexual Assault Protection Order: Provides short-term protection for victims of nonconsensual sexual conduct, in effect until a court hearing for a permanent order.
TXR - Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order-Without Notice (effective 7/1/2022): Allows for the immediate removal of firearms from an individual deemed a significant danger to themselves or others, issued without prior notice to the respondent and effective until a full hearing.
TXU - Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order-Without Notice - Respondent Under 18 Years (effective 7/1/2022): Similar to the TXR, this order applies specifically when the respondent is a minor under 18, facilitating the immediate removal of firearms without prior notice and remaining effective until a court hearing.
Disclaimer
This report is based on requirements in RCW 9.41.801(12). Types of orders included in this report are listed above. Orders excluded from this report are orders modifying or terminating an existing order. This is to prevent counting issued twice to provide an accurate picture of the number of ex parte and full orders issued Statewide. Foreign Protection orders are also excluded.
At present, further data listed in RCW 9.41.801(12) is unevenly collected across jurisdictions, and AOC believes that reports based on this data would not accurately convey the reality of enforcement across the state. The Administrative Office of the Courts is overhauling entry practices regarding protection orders in order to more accurately and completely receive and report protection order data, with new entry mechanisms in AOC-maintained case management systems which would enable the reporting of more specific data listed in 9.41.801(12). AOC is working with courts that maintain separate case management systems in order to facilitate receiving similar data from such systems as well.
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