what is a tro

A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) is a type of short-term injunction issued by a judge before trial that forces or prevents an action for a specified time frame. TROs are short-term pre-trial temporary injunctions that are intended to be stop-gap measures, and only last until the court holds a hearing on whether or not to grant a preliminary injunction. To obtain a TRO, a party must convince the judge that he or she will suffer immediate irreparable injury unless the order is issued. If the judge is convinced that a TRO is necessary, he or she may issue the order immediately, without informing the other parties and without holding a hearing. TROs are governed by Rule 65(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in federal courts. State rules regarding TROs and other injunctions vary from state to state. TROs can be used in various situations, such as to prevent the sharing of a business secret or an unfair competition practice, until a court hearing on a preliminary injunction can be held.