2022 Yearly Report: Protective Order Outcomes
Civil protection orders are intended to protect victims of domestic violence by directing abusive partners to stop harming or threatening them and, in most cases, to stay away from them for the duration of the order. Protective orders are one of the most effective ways to stop or reduce domestic violence when paired with a strong safety plan and proper enforcement. Final protective orders have been shown to lower the risk of contact with abusers, decrease threats with a weapon and reduce injuries.
In this report, we provide the overall rates of final outcomes in protective order hearings observed by Court Watch in 2022: orders
granted, dismissed and denied. We then look at these rates by individual judge. We also examine how these outcomes are affected
by the presence of in-court support for victims from both victim advocates and attorneys. Finally, we analyze whether judges ask
petitioners certain safety-related questions or refer them to a victim advocate before agreeing to a request to dismiss their case.