What are the penalties in Illinois for violating an order of protection?
Violation of an order of protection is a Class A misdemeanor offense punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The court may also sentence the defendant to probation, counseling, and community service. Supervision is available for this offense, which means that a first offender may be eligible to have the record of this charge expunged. The offense is governed by section 720 ILCS 5/12-30, which provides the following: A person is guilty of violating an order of protection if he or she commits an act which was prohibited by a court or fails to commit an act which was ordered by a court as a remedy in an order of protection, and such violation occurs after the offender has been served notice of the contents of the order or otherwise has acquired actual knowledge of the contents of the order. Typically, a defendant is charged with violation of an order of protection for making contact with a protected party by telephone, voicemail, email, or text message. The protected party
