No Contact Order Successes

Five Recent Successes Involving No Contact Orders

Recently Ashbach Law Offices, LLC represented five clients throughout Snohomish County who were all facing imposition of a No Contact Order, some via civil positions, and others via criminal allegations. In all five instances, our office was able to prevent a no-contact order from being issued. For immediate help, call or text us at 360.474.7872.

A No Contact Order (or protection order) can have severe short-term and long term impacts, including loss of employment, loss of housing, inability to see loved ones, loss of firearm rights, as well as creating exposure for criminal liability if a No Contact Order is violated.

No Contact Orders do serve a valid purpose when obtained for legitimate reasons. Unfortunately, No Contact Orders (and petitions) are often used proactively and inappropriately, often in the context of dissolving relationships and family matters.

In many instances, No Contact Orders are not reciprocal. This means that only one party can violate an order, and only that party can be subject to criminal (or civil) liability for any alleged violations. In fact, many “protected” parties try to induce the “restrained” party into violating the No Contact Order, via constant texts, emails and phone calls.

Other Examples of No Contact Order Issues and Representation

In one case we handled, the protected party was texting her ex-boyfriend multiple times a day for over a month, until he texted back “Stop texting me.” The protected party then took that to the police, and the restrained party was arrested and was in custody for several days before bailing out. He then hired us, and the case was eventually dismissed, but it was still a very unpleasant experience for our client.

Another case we handled involved neighbor disputes with one particularly unreasonable and sensitive neighbor who routinely called police on our client. This case ended up going to trial with a “not guilty” verdict for our client. While this case ultimately resolved well for our client in criminal court, effective representation of the criminal allegation required a lengthy amount of legal and factual research into the case. Our office did not represent the client at the time the No Contact Order was imposed, and review of that underlying petition showed that with effective and prepared representation, a No Contact Order likely would not have been granted in the first place.

Under the Full Faith and Credit Act, and often by the terms of the No Contact Order, an order granted in one court is valid throughout the State of Washington, as well as other States. We have been hired in several instances to represent clients facing criminal allegations stemming from orders granted by other States (such as California) or tribal jurisdictions. We have also represented a client arrested for crossing the border back into the U.S. from Canada with the protected party, so be advised that No Contact Orders do get into the federal system as well. While that case also did not result in conviction, being arrested at the border and spending a night in a jail 90 miles from home was not a pleasant experience for our client.

Clients charged with Domestic Violence allegations face imposition of a Pre-trial No Contact Order as part of conditions of release. Most courts routinely grant prosecutor requests for these orders at arraignment, even if the alleged victim does not want one to be granted. In many cases we have been able to prevent an order from being entered, but that often requires extensive, pre-court investigation and interviews. This is one reason, among many, that beginning early representation on an allegation to get a head start on the prosecution is crucial.

What We Do Regarding No Contact Orders

Our office is experienced in successfully representing clients facing No Contact Order petitions, being charged with allegedly violating No Contact Orders, and facing No Contact Orders being imposed as part of a criminal allegation. We have successfully represented clients facing these issues from Renton to Blaine, throughout the I-5 corridor.

Great results such as this are what we fight for every day at Ashbach Law Offices, LLC. If you need help with a No Contact Order issue, please call or text us at 360.474.7872 (or email brian@i5defense.com)

Our office is based in Snohomish County, Washington, with offices in Marysville and Mill Creek. However, we frequently travel far and wide for clients who are seeking aggressive, high-quality defense for their allegations.

We routinely represent clients charged with allegations throughout the Washington I-5 corridor, covering Skagit, Snohomish, King and Whatcom Counties. Regular courts of practice include, but are not limited to, Anacortes, Arlington, Bellevue, Bellingham, Blaine, Burlington, Edmonds, Everett, Issaquah, Lynnwood, Marysville and cities in between.