questions & answers

Question: I filed for a order of protection 2/18 & defendant filed to drop it (heating 3/4). Judge said there were 2 violations since OP was granted but since I replied to his saying he was sorry to hear about the death of my 23 yr. old cat (no law says I can't contact him!) he/Judge said he's only guilty of one violation ...yet he firmly told defendant to leave me alone & granted his request to dismiss the Order of Protection. What can I do about this injustice? By the way we are a bit racial couple

Answer: If you still feel you are in danger or if the defendant continues to harass you, you may want to file for another Order of Protection. In Arizona, you may want to contact the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual & Domestic Violence’s legal advocacy hotline by phone (602) 279-2900 or chat at https://acesdv.org for referrals to services and information about Orders of Protection. Arizona has a variety of free, reduced rate, or paid legal help options. Most free or reduced rate legal help programs have eligibility requirements based on income or type of legal case. To apply for free or reduced rate legal assistance, visit: https://azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice.cfm and click on "Click Here to Begin the Interview". Or, you may call (866) 637-5341 and use the automated system to see if you meet eligibility for free/reduced cost legal help. You may also contact Arizona’s free legal help programs directly: Community Legal Services serves La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma Counties https://clsaz.org/office-locations/ DNA People’s Legal Services serves Coconino County and all of Navajo and Hopi Nations. https://dnalegalservices.org/contact/ Southern Arizona Legal Aid serves Apache, Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties. https://sazlegalaid.org/connect-with-us/ Many Arizona Courts offer services or resources to help individuals that may be representing themselves in court. For court location and contact information, access to forms, live chat with law librarians, and legal information, visit: https://azcourthelp.org For help finding a lawyer, visit: State Bar of Arizona (statewide referral): https://azbar.legalserviceslink.com/ Maricopa County Lawyer Referral: https://maricopabar.org/index.cfm?pg=LRSHome Pima County Lawyer Referral: https://tucsonlawyers.org/ Yavapai County Lawyer Referral: https://yavbar.org/find-a-lawyer