Protection Order Instructions
Filing a Protection Order can be one option to help stop the violence in your life. The following information may assist you in this process.
TESSA offers walk-in and call-in Advocacy services at our Main Office, Monday – Thursday, 7:30am-3:00pm, and Friday 7:30am-11:00am located at:
435 Gold Pass Heights (INSIDE THE MYRON STRATTON CAMPUS)
2525 Hwy. 115/S. Nevada, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Main Office: 719-633-1462
24-hour Crisis Line: 719-633-3819
TESSA attempts to have Advocates at court as often as possible. TESSA Advocates are available:
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00am-10:00am at the District Attorney’s Office, 105 E. Verimijo St., Room 111, to assist you in completing the Temporary Protection Order paperwork.
- Monday – Friday in the Temporary Protection Order (TPO) and Permanent Protection Order (PPO) Courtrooms to assist you.
Temporary Protection Order paperwork is also available at the El Paso County Courthouse, Room 101.
To file a Protection Order for Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
Domestic Violence is defined as a relationship between spouses, former spouses, past or present unmarried couples, or persons who are both the parents of the same child regardless of whether the persons have been married or have lived together at any time. Sexual Assault is defined as sexual intrusion or sexual penetration against the will of the victim.
1) Complete TESSA’s intake. This information is for TESSA only and is kept confidential, unless authorization is given by you to release. Once the intake is completed you will be able to speak with an Advocate and receive assistance with the Temporary Protection Order (TPO) paperwork.
2) Once the TPO paperwork is completed, take it to the Clerk’s office at the El Paso County Courthouse, 270 S.Tejon, Room 101. You MUST file your TPO paperwork in Room 101 before 9:45am, Monday-Friday, to appear before the Judge/Magistrate that day. There is no fee for filing a Protection Order involving Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault. The clerk will ask for photo ID.
3) The clerk in Room 101 will direct you to TPO Court. TPO Hearings are scheduled for 10:30am Monday-Friday. During the hearing, the Judge/Magistrate may ask you questions about your complaint and will decide whether or not to grant your TPO. You MUST attend this hearing if you want a TPO.
4) If the TPO is granted, proceed to the Sheriff's Office (next to the courthouse) to have the TPO served on the defendant. The Clerk in the Courtroom will explain this process in detail to you prior to the hearing. You cannot serve the defendant yourself.
5) Call the Sheriff's Office every day after 4:30pm at 719-520-7144 and listen to the recording. If the defendant’s name is announced, the order has been served. After the order has been served, you can pick up a copy with proof of service:
- Same day: 4:30pm 9:00p.m. in the lobby of Criminal Justice Center, 2739 E. Las Vegas.
- After same day: 8:00am-4:00pm in Civil Office (Sheriff’s office) 210 S. Tejon.
The TPO is not in effect until the defendant has been served.
PLEASE PROTECT YOURSELF AND PRACTICE SAFETY
Once the Protection Order is served, KEEP A COPY OF IT WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. If the defendant violates the Protection Order, call the police immediately.
TESSA Advocates are available to discuss options and provide safety planning with you.
PREPARING FOR A PERMANENT PROTECTION ORDER (PPO) HEARING
A Permanent Protection Order issued in the state of Colorado is a lifelong order unless modified or dismissed by a Judge/Magistrate.
To prepare for court, you may want to:
- Jot down key points you would like the Judge/Magistrate to consider.
- Be as clear and concise as possible.
- Focus on the events listed in your complaint.
- If possible, take a friend or relative to court with you for support.
Amendments to the TPO at the PPO Hearing may include: method of contact, parenting time/exchanges, and mutual attendance at children's school functions.
Please consider the amendments you request carefully. They may expose you to further harm and/or make the PPO difficult for the police to enforce.
CARE AND CONTROL OF CHILDREN
Temporary Care and Control is the part of the Protection Order regarding children and can last up to 120 days from the date the TPO was granted. Care and Control is a temporary ruling that allows time for custody paperwork to be filed with the court.
The judge will consider your input regarding visitation and/or parenting time.
- If ther are safety concerns regarding visits and/or exchanges, ask the Judge/Magistrate about CASA’s Supervised Exchange and Parenting Time (SEPT). Provide clear and concise support for your concerns.
- If you do not use CASA, consider a safe public location where the children can be exchanged.
If you believe there will be a dispute over Temporary Care and Control of the children, you may want to request attorney representation. It is not mandatory that you have an attorney. If your PPO is granted, you may request an emergency child support hearing.
THE DEFENDANT’S RIGHTS
The defendant has the right to contest the PPO. If contested, a hearing will be scheduled. The hearing may or may not be scheduled for that same day. If the hearing is set for a later date, the TPO will be continued until the PPO Hearing. The PPO Hearing is an opportunity for both the plaintiff and the defendant to testify regarding the incidents listed in the complaint.
The defendant may also be present and choose not to contest the PPO, in which case the PPO will be granted to the Plaintiff without admission of the allegations listed in the complaint.
*Please note that if the defendant is not present at the PPO hearing, and there are changes, you will have to have the defendant served with a copy of the new PPO.
