Court orders cover a broad range of requirements placed on individuals by the court. These are not suggestions. Violating a court order carries legal consequences. If you face charges of not fulfilling court orders, you need legal help from a defense attorney who really listens to his clients.
What Is a Court Order? Are There Different Types of Court Orders?
Court orders are requirements placed by the court on an individual. Being in violation of one is contempt of court and can include everything from disrespectful or disruptive behavior in the courtroom to violating a protective (“stay away”) order. All types of violations must be willingly done, so if you weren’t aware that you were going against a court order, you may not have been in violation.
Penal Code 166 outlines the types of behaviors that constitute contempt of court and the specific laws that handle their punishments. For instance, under 166(d), the law outlines punishment for those in possession of weapons when under a restraining order have their punishment listed under PC 29825.
What Happens When You Violate a Court Order?
Violating a court order is a broad category of offenses. Most of these involve misdemeanor punishments, which typically have a cap of up to six years in jail and fines up to $1000. However, in certain situations, such as having this charge for a situation involving a firearm may raise the potential punishment to one year in jail.
Secondary violations may have felony or misdemeanor charges. Felony charges may be more likely in cases of breaking restraining orders in domestic violence cases or if violence occurred with the violation of the court order.
Is Violating a Restraining Order the Same as Violating a Court Order
The requirements for violating a restraining order fall under PC 273.6. This specifically addresses what happens when someone violates protective orders for domestic violence cases. In fact, this law refers to the court orders the accused violates.
However, PC 166 is a more general law that shows how multiple violations can fall under contempt of court, including breaking a protective order’s requirements. It is much broader than the specific requirements governing violations of protective orders. Therefore, the biggest difference between the two is PC 273.6 discusses one type of court order violation out of the many listed in PC 166.
Contact the Law Office of Steven K. Bloom for Help If You Have a Charge of Violating a Court Order
While the consequences of violating a court order typically are misdemeanor punishments, they still go on your record. Get legal help from the Law Office of Steven K. Bloom whether you have a court order violation, restraining order violation, or another legal charge. He has helped people in Orange County for years by giving them legal counsel from his deep understanding of California law. Let him be your legal support by contacting him today for a free discussion of your case.
Sources
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=29825.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=273.6
https://skbesq.com/domestic-violence/
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=166.
