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Legal Information: Rhode Island

Statutes: Rhode Island

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Updated: 
July 19, 2024

15-15.1-2. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) “Court” means the family court.

(2) “Foreign protection order” means a protection order issued by a tribunal of another state.

(3) “Issuing state” means the state whose tribunal issues a protection order.

(4) “Mutual foreign protection order” means a foreign protection order that includes provisions in favor of both the protected individual seeking enforcement of the order and the respondent.

(5) “Protected individual” means an individual protected by a protection order.

(6) “Protection order” means an injunction or other order, issued by a tribunal under the domestic-violence, family-violence, or anti-stalking laws of the issuing state, to prevent an individual from engaging in violent or threatening acts against, harassment of, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to, another individual.

(7) “Respondent” means the individual against whom enforcement of protection order is sought.

(8) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The term includes an Indian tribe or band that has jurisdiction to issue protection orders.

(9) “Tribunal” means a court, agency, or other entity authorized by law to issue or modify a protection order.