Stalking Protection Orders
The American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence and the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs published the following charts detailing the stalking statues of various states, including the definition of stalking, who qualifies for a protection order, standards of proof, available relief, cost, and penalty for knowingly violating a protection order in each state. As the law is always changing, please confirm that the information in these charts is accurate.
American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence, June 2009
This chart covers 38 states (AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NE, NM, NV, NH, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, and WY) and includes statutes and definitions for harassment, descriptions of what a petitioner must show to establish the standard of proof for a protection order, and the duration of a protection order for each state.
Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, February 2007
This chart covers 25 states (AK, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, KS, MD, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, UT, VT, VA, WI, and WY) and includes itemized descriptions of what a protection order provides, and how respondents and law enforcement receive notice of an issued protection order in each state.
The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, released Civil Protection Orders: A Guide for Improving Practice to help keep victims and their children safe by providing guidance to advocates, attorneys, judges, law enforcement officers and prosecutors to ensure that protective orders are issued, served and enforced throughout the United States.