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EspañolWhat should I do when I leave the courthouse?
There are some things you may want to consider doing after you have been granted an injunction against harassment. Depending on what you think is safest in your situation, you may decide to do any or all of the following:
- Review the injunction before you leave the courthouse. If you have any questions, you can ask the clerk or see if you can ask the judge.
- Make several copies of the injunction as soon as possible. Keep a copy with you at all times.
- Leave copies of the injunction at your workplace, at your home, at your children’s school or daycare, in your car, with a sympathetic neighbor, and so on.
- If you have a security guard or front desk person where you live or work, give them a copy of the injunction and a photo of the harasser.
- Give a copy of the injunction to anyone who is named in and protected by it. Encourage them to make their own copies.
- You may wish to consider changing your locks (if permitted by law) and your phone number.
- If the clerk is forwarding the order to law enforcement for service, you may want to call law enforcement to make sure they have received copies of your injunction from the clerk and to ask for updates on when it is being served.
- If you are concerned about your safety when leaving the courthouse, you may want to notify a court officer and ask if s/he would walk you to your car.
- Do not contact the respondent for any reason. If the respondent violates your injunction in the future, police and judges may take your report less seriously if you have been in touch with him/her.
You may also want to make a safety plan. People can do a number of things to increase their safety from harassment. Many harassers obey injunctions, but some do not. So, it’s important to build on the things you have already been doing to keep yourself safe. You can look at our Safety Tips for Stalking Victims page for suggestions.
I was not granted an injunction against harassment. What are my options?
You may be able to apply for a new injunction against harassment if a new incident or threat of abuse or harassment occurs after you are denied the injunction.
If you believe the judge made an error of law, you can talk to lawyer about the possibility of an appeal. You can find basic information on our Filing an Appeal page. Generally, appeals are complicated and they may have very short deadlines for filing. You will most likely need the help of a lawyer.
What can I do if the harasser violates the order?
To enforce an injunction against harassment, you would have to report the violation to the police or the court. If the harasser violates the injunction on purpose, that may be a crime and/or contempt of court. Remember, even if you think the violation is minor, you can still call the police.
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When you call the police, they will send an officer out to make a report. Show the police your injunction against harassment. If the police witness the violation or if the respondent is still in the area, they may make an arrest. The crime of violating an injunction against harassment is a misdemeanor. If the harasser is convicted, the judge may sentence him/her to appropriate counseling. If s/he is convicted more than once, s/he may have to go to jail.1
Whether or not the respondent is arrested, the police may file a report. It’s a good idea to write down the responding officers’ names and badge numbers in case you want to follow up on your report.
If the respondent wasn’t arrested – or if you’re not sure what happened – you may want to call the Prosecuting Attorney’s Victim/Witness program in your circuit as soon as possible to let them know you made a police report for a violation of an injunction against harassment.
If the respondent got arrested, you don’t need to call the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office because they will automatically get involved. However, you can contact them if you need information or have questions about what to expect.
1 Haw. Rev. Stat. § 604-10.5(i)
Will my injunction still be valid if I move?
If you move within Hawai‘i, your injunction will still be valid. It may be a good idea to contact your local law enforcement to let them know about the injunction against harassment and that you have moved to a new area. You may also want to call the court where you originally received the injunction to tell them your new address so that they can contact you if necessary. However, if you want your new address to be kept confidential, ask the clerk how to make sure that the harasser cannot find it in the court file.
If you move to another state or territory within the United States, federal law provides what is called “full faith and credit.” This means that once you have a criminal or civil protection order, it’s enforceable throughout the U.S., including U.S. territories and tribal lands.1
Different states may have different rules for enforcing out-of-state protection orders. You can find out about your new state’s policies by contacting a domestic violence program, the clerk of court, or the prosecutor in your area.
You can also call the National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit (1-800-903-0111 x 2) for information on enforcing your order in a new state.
Note: For information on enforcing a military protective order (MPO) off the military installation, or enforcing a civil protection order (CPO) on a military installation, please see our Military Protective Orders page.
1 18 U.S.C. §§ 2265(a); 2266(5)
If I get an injunction against harassment, will it show up in an internet search?
According to federal law, courts are not supposed to make any information publicly available on the internet that would be likely to reveal your identity or location. This applies to all of these documents:
- the petition you file;
- the protective order, restraining order, or injunction that you get; or
- the registration of an order in a different state.1
Federal law applies to all states, territories, and tribal lands.
1 18 U.S.C. § 2265(d)(3)
