If you have been served with a PFA order that prohibits you from going to a particular place, don't ignore it. If it says that you can't visit someone else's home, patronize a particular place of business, stop by your kids' school, or even go to your own home, don't take it upon yourself to do any of those things anyway. If you do, you risk violating an official judicial order, which in the case of a PFA order means you could be jailed until a hearing and then fined up to $1000 and sentenced to six months in jail. In addition, depending on your actions, you risk being charged with one or more other crimes.

In a recent case, a man in Harrisburg who had been served with a PFA order allegedly attempted to break into the home of the person who had asked for the PFA order against him. According to reports, someone at the residence fired a gun at him, scaring him away, but he was later found and taken into custody. He faces felony charges of burglary, criminal trespassing, and stalking, and a misdemeanor charge of making terroristic threats, in addition to violating the PFA order.

Respect the Terms of the PFA Order

Whether or not you believe a PFA Order against you was fairly issued by the court, it's important to respect the fact that it is an order signed by a judge and that the police have the power to enforce it if you violate its terms. That means that if the PFA order prohibits you from going into your own home, you don't do so – even if it is “just for a few minutes” or “only to pick up some clothes.” If you go anyway, you risk being arrested and prosecuted for a PFA violation, even if the situation does not escalate the way things reportedly did in Harrisburg.

What to Do If You Believe You Need Access to Prohibited Areas or People

PFA orders can be very restrictive. It can be extremely upsetting not to be able to go into your own home to be able to contact your children or be in the area near their school, or be allowed to visit certain restaurants or clubs. But PFA orders aren't carved in stone, and if you can show a legitimate need to be able to go somewhere or do something that the order prohibits, you can ask the court to modify it.

Modifying a PFA Order

And the way to make that request is with the help of an attorney who has years of experience helping clients with PFA orders and who understands what tends to work and what doesn't when asking a judge to modify a PFA order. Our Criminal Law Team and the LLF Law Firm have that experience. We can help you decide whether your reasons for wanting to modify a PFA order are ones that a judge is likely to agree with under the circumstances. We can also help by suggesting ways to modify the PFA order to accomplish what you're trying to do while still protecting the rights and the safety of the person or people who requested the order.

You Need the Help of an Experienced Attorney

This is why, whether you've just learned that someone has requested a PFA order against you or you've been served with a PFA order and believe it's too restrictive, you need to contact our Criminal Law Team. We can help you understand the situation, understand the law, and figure out how best to deal with what can be an uncomfortable and stressful situation. You don't want to try to sort things out by yourself, and you should definitely do everything you can to follow the requirements of the PFA order.

If you have any questions about a PFA order, call our Criminal Law Team at 888.535.3686, or set up a confidential consultation online with the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team today.