Order for Protection
Victims of domestic violence may seek an Order for Protection from the Court Administrator’s Office. It is not necessary for a victim to report the violence to the police in order to request an Order, but the Meeker County Sheriff's Office strongly recommends that he or she do so. This allows the criminal justice system to intervene in a situation.

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 518B.01 (Subd 2), "Domestic Abuse" applies to a family or household member if committed by family or household member. " Family" or "household member" is defined as:

• Spouse and former spouse
• Parents and children
• Persons related by blood
• Persons who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past
• Persons who have a child in common, regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time
• A man or woman, if the woman is pregnant and the man is alleged to be the father regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time
• Persons involved in a significant romantic or sexual relationship

Filing a Petition
An adult may file a petition for an Order for Protection on behalf of any victim who is a minor, if considered vulnerable because of a mental deficiency, or is of any advanced age. Anyone seeking an Order for Protection should contact:

• Meeker County Court Administrator Office at 320-693-5230
• Meeker County Crime Victim's Program
  Meeker County Attorney’s Office
  325 North Sibley Avenue
  Litchfield, MN 55355
  Phone: 320-693-5223

The Crime Victim's Advocate will assist in preparing the Affidavit and the petition necessary to obtain an Order. They also may provide other resources for domestic abuse victims.

Petition Review
When a judge reviews the petition, an Affidavit for Order For Protection, he or she will determine if an Temporary Order for Protection or an Order for Hearing only should be issued. In either case, a hearing to review the petition is scheduled for approximately 7 days following the filing of the petition.

At the hearing the judge will listen to both the petitioner and the respondent and will determine if a long-term Order for Protection should be issued. This generally is for 1 or 2 years. If an order is granted, either temporary or long-term, it should be brought to the Sheriff's Office. They will arrange for service within Meeker County. If the respondent lives in another county, they will fax the order to his or her local Sheriff's Office.

In most cases these orders can be served at anytime and anywhere. We request that you provide as much information as possible to assist deputies in locating the respondent.

Filing Fees
The Court Administrator does not charge a filing fee for this order, nor does the Sheriff's Office charge a fee for this service.