Protection Order Instructions
For a downloadable copy of the instructions below, please click here.
Filing a Protection Order can be one option to help stop the violence in your life.
The following information will assist you in this process.
TESSA offers walk-in and call-in Advocacy services at the Clerk’s office at the courthouse and at
our Main Office.
TESSA Main Office: 435 Gold Pass Heights (inside the Myron Stratton Campus)
Myron Stratton Campus: 2525 Hwy. 115/S. Nevada, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Main Office: 719-633-1462 (for directions, select ext. 0) ● 24-hour Crisis Line: 719-633-3819
Walk-In Services are offered at the Main Office:
- Monday – Thursday, 7:30am-4:30pm, and Friday 7:30am-12:00pm
TESSA Advocates are generally available at the courthouse:
- Monday – Friday, 8:00am-10:00am at Room 101 at the El Paso County Courthouse to assist you by answering any questions you may have, safety planning, providing options and resources, and supporting you in completing the Temporary Protection Order (TPO) 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 and on the court’s website at www.gofourth.org.
To file a Protection Order for Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault
TESSA assists with Protection Order requests when a threat or act of violence has occurred within the following parameters.
• Domestic Violence – when there has been a threat of or an act of violence between adults who are or who were in an intimate relationship (i.e. married, dated, share children, or any intimate contact). TESSA is not able to assist in matters that are between neighbors, landlords, roommates, etc.
• Sexual Assault – when there has been nonconsensual sexual contact between adults. Sexual assault victims may or may not have known their offender.
1) Complete TESSA’s intake. This information is for TESSA only and is kept confidential, unless written 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, safety planning, options and resources.
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 9:30am, Monday-Friday, to appear before the Judge/Magistrate that same day. There is no fee for filing a Protection Order involving Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault. You are required to have a photo ID; which the clerk will ask to see.
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. The TPO is not in effect until it is served.
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.
Reminder: 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 confidential safety planning.
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.
Suggestions to prepare for the court hearing:
- Write 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 there are safety concerns regarding visits and/or exchanges, ask the Judge/Magistrate about the Supervised Exchange and Parenting Time (SEPT) program. Provide clear and concise support for your concerns.
- If you do not use SEPT, use a safe public location where the children can be exchanged or a third party you trust to assist with the exchanges.
If you believe there will be a dispute over Temporary Care and Control of the children, you may want to request attorney representation, please talk to an advocate about this. 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.
Please always practice safety for you and your children.
Call 911 in an emergency.
Call TESSA for confidential advocacy.
