Previous posts on this blog have overviewed the different types of protection orders residents of Nebraska can obtain from their local courts, including the courts here in Omaha and the rest of Douglas County.
One type of protection order people can obtain is called a harassment protection order. As the name of the order implies, a person who has been harassed can get an order directing the perpetrator to have no communication with the person who obtained the order.
Like other protection orders, they can be issued without a hearing under certain circumstances, although the alleged perpetrator will have the opportunity to ask for the order to be overturned at a later date.
For those who are on the receiving end of a harassment protection order, it is important to remember that the term harassment actually has a legal definition. In other words, this sort of order cannot be used to stop behavior one finds annoying or even a little disconcerting.
On a practical level, men should not have to worry about receiving one of these orders from a person with whom they simply are not getting along or with whom they have otherwise been in socially uncomfortable situations. The harassment protection order is designed to stop clearly over-the-line conduct that seems to be designed to make someone feel frightened.
If a man receives a harassment protection order that was approved prior to a hearing, then he should of course follow it for the time being. However, if it is based on information that is not true, taken out of context or exaggerated, he can evaluate his legal options.