No Contact Order Violation in Olympia

There are numerous reasons why someone may have a no contact order put in place against them. No matter the reason, the first step a person should do when finding out about it is to carefully read the court’s order. You need to know what the court is specifically ordering you to do or not to do.

A standard no contact order prohibits you from making any kind of contact with the protected person. This goes beyond phone calls or in person visits. This includes emails, text messages, spoke signals, and messages relayed through third parties.

It is important to understand that a no-contact order is an order by a judge. This is not an order by the protected party. This is an important distinction because there are instances where the protected party did not want the order but the judge put it in place anyways. So even if the protected party wants you to make contact with him or her, you cannot do so unless the court permits it otherwise you can get into trouble.

A violation of a no contact order is normally charged as a gross misdemeanor. This means the maximum penalty is 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. You could potentially even be facing a felony under a couple different set of circumstances. If the “contact” between the parties was actually an assault, you can be charged with a felony. For example, if the assault, by itself, would have been charged as assault 4° (a gross misdemeanor). It could actually be charged as a felony because of the no contact order. Similarly, if you have previously been convicted for violating the no contact order, you could be charged with a class C felony.

If someone is trying to put a no contact order against you or you are being accused of violating a no contact order, give our office a call. We will try to answer all of your questions and prepare you for what you might be facing.