If you violate (VY-o-layt) an order of protection, you can be arrested. Violate means does not follow the rules. If you are arrested for violating an order of protection, there can be a new criminal court case against you. If you violate a Family Court order of protection the victim might also file a violation petition against you in Family Court.
What happens next if you are arrested can depend on the outcome of your original case. If the original order of protection that you violated was from criminal court and:
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You had a conditional discharge (con-DI-shun-al DIS-charge), you can go to jail. Conditional discharge means you are not found guilty and you go free but you have to follow certain rules.
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You were on probation (pro-BAY-shun), you can go to jail. Probation means the court finds you guilty of a crime but the judge lets you go free as long as you do not do anything else wrong and meet with your Probation Officer.
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You were given an Adjournment in Contemplation of a Dismissal (ad-JURN-mint in con-tem-PLA-shun of diss-MISS-al), or ACD for short, the judge can take it away. An ACD is what a judge sometimes gives a defendant instead of a trial. It means the case will not go to trial if the defendant does not break the law again for a certain period of time.
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You were released on bail, the judge can send you to jail. Bail is money a defendant gives to the court to get out of jail.
For some violations you can be sentenced to up to one year in jail. You can also be charged with a felony. This could lead to a sentence of up to seven years in prison and three years of probation.