Personal Protection Orders

For victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking.

Resources Available To You

• Michigan Family Violence Help Line - 1-800-996-6228 (24 hour crisis line)
• Underground Railroad -1-888-399-8385

PPO General Information

Personal Protection Orders (commonly referred to as PPOs) are orders of the Family Division of the Circuit Court that forbid a person from certain actions. There is no charge for filing a PPO. The person filing a PPO is the petitioner and the person the PPO is filed against is the respondent.

To file a PPO, fill out papers in the PPO office located in the lower level of the courthouse or contact the PPO office at (989)790-5412.

• You will need to file a complete affidavit including dates, times, and locations of the incidents, details of any injuries, and descriptions of events. Photographs and tape recordings are helpful.
• Your PPO will then be filed with the 10th Judicial Circuit Court Family Division Clerk's office. They will assign your case to a Judge who will rule on your request.
• Call the PPO office to find out if your ex parte request for a PPO has been granted.
• If your PPO is granted, you will need to return to the PPO office to pick up your PPO and arrange for service.
• Once your PPO has been served, return the Proof of Service to the PPO office.
• If your PPO is denied ex parte, you have the right to request a hearing that must be noticed for all parties.

What a PPO can do for you

A PPO mayorder the respondent not to:

• Enter your property
• Assault, attack, beat, molest, or wound you
• Threaten to kill or physically injure you
• Remove children from you if you have legal custody
• Interfere with your efforts to remove your children or personal property
• Interfere with you at your place of employment
• Contact you by phone
• Send you mail, e-mail, or any other form of communications
• Purchase or possess a firearm

Penalties for violating a PPO include a maximum of 93 days in jail and/or a maximum $500 fine. The Court may and does order the costs of prosecution and restitution to be paid.

A PPO does not:

• Evict a person in a landlord/tenant issue - you may contact District Court at (989)790-5380.
  Mediate neighborhood disputes - you may contact the Mid Michigan Dispute Resolution Center at (989)797-4188.
• Protect personal property from damage - you may need to contact your local police agency.
• Establish custody or parenting time - you may need to contact an attorney or the Friend of the Court at (989)790-5300.

Three Types of Personal Protection Orders

Domestic PPO - for victims of dating or domestic violence.

To qualify for a Domestic PPO, you must establish one of the following relationships with the respondent.

• Are/were husband and wife
• A current or former dating relationship
• Reside or resided in the same household
• Have a child in common
• And show an assault or a threat to assault, causing reasonable apprehension of violence and/or stalking.

Non-Domestic PPO - for victims of stalking.

To qualify for a non-domestic PPO, you are not required to prove a relationship with the respondent. However, you must establish that the respondent has shown:

• A Pattern of Behavior:
  • Including two separate stalking incidents.
  • That would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.

Sexual Assault PPO - for victims of sexual assault.

• This PPO is to remove the requirement of a non-domestic PPO of 2 separate stalking incidents.
• A sexual assault in and of itself may qualify you for a sexual assault PPO.

Safety Planning

WARNING: Violence often gets worse if you try to leave or show signs of independence. Take special care.

When you are in a violent relationship, here are some things to keep in mind.

• Try to figure-out warning signs that come before an assault - drinking, drugs, pay day, a bad day at work, etc.
• Are there physical signs - clenched fists, throwing things, red face, etc?
• Try to get help before anything happens.
• Are there weapons in the house - Can you remove them or lock them up?
• Can you signal the neighbors?
• Can your children learn to call the police?

How will you get out of the house - Set a routine for walking the dog, getting a paper, or taking out the garbage, so that it is normal for you to leave for a short period of time?

• Your children - Send your children to friends or relatives or take them with you.
• Take ID and important documents
• Driver's license or State ID
• Social Security card
• Custody papers, judgment of divorce, etc.
• FIA Identification
• Birth Certificates
• Pictures of your injuries
• Any other papers you think you may need

Derived from the SURVIVOR'S HANDBOOK, produced by the Domestic Violence Project of Ann Arbor, MI.

These are just some generalized suggestions.

What to do if there is a violation of your PPO

If the respondent violates the PPO, immediately call 911 or your local police. When the police arrive, they may arrest the respondent for violating the PPO.

To request a violation hearing when an arrest is not made, document the events and be sure to have evidence of the violation. You must file for a Show Cause Hearing through the Clerk's office or the PPO office.

Remember, you may not violate your own PPO. The Court may sanction you for a self-violation.

SCAO General Forms