Restraining Orders

In Colorado, for the purpose of a civil protection order, domestic abuse/violence is defined as when someone with whom you have a specific relationship commits any of the following:

• any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence, stalking, harassment, or coercion against you; or
• any act, attempted act, or threatened act of violence against:
  • your children who are under 18; or
  • any animal owned by you or the abuser or by a child of you or the abuser. The purpose of the violent act or threat against the animal must be to coerce, control, punish, intimidate, or get revenge upon you or a minor child of you or the abuser.¹

Coercion, mentioned above, is defined as using force, the threat of force, or intimidation to:

• make you do something that you have the right not to do; or
• to make you not do something that you have the right to do.¹

Note: The Colorado courts website lists various behaviors on their Protection Order Incident Checklist that may be relevant in a court case for a civil protection order. However, even if one or more of these actions took place, you still need to be able to prove to the judge that these actions meet the legal definition of domestic abuse, explained above.

¹ Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-14-101(2)