A Personal Protection Order (PPO) is a legal order issued by the circuit court that can help prevent an individual and their family from being stalked, harassed, threatened, or assaulted. It is a type of injunctive order that protects victims of family (domestic) violence. The order is requested by the victim at the Domestic Violence Coalition, and there is no cost for the protection order. The judge will review the petition and decide if a PPO should be issued right away or if the complaint needs to be served on the respondent and have a hearing set by the court. A PPO usually has a 6-month to one-year expiration date, but the victim can request that it be extended if they still feel they are in harms way.
A PPO goes into effect as soon as the judge signs it, but it is enforceable against the respondent only after it has been served on them. The county clerk is responsible for providing a copy of the PPO and the proof of service to the local police agency that can enter the order into the Law Enforcement Information Network (L.E.I.N.) . It is advisable for the victim to carry a copy of the PPO at all times so that a police officer can quickly confirm the terms of the order if the respondent commits a violation. If the respondent violates the PPO, the victim can file a "motion to show cause" with the circuit court to have a hearing about the PPO violation. A "show cause" hearing focuses on whether the respondent should be held in contempt of court for violating the PPO.
