Protective order hearings

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t: Responding to Domestic-Violence Allegations in Protective-Order Cases

An innocent respondent in a protective-order case often faces a problem that courts do not acknowledge clearly enough: The more fully he explains what happened, the more material he may give…

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The Obvious Variable No One Addresses: How Gender Distorts Protective Order Decisions

Protective orders are among the most powerful and disruptive tools Utah courts wield—all on an expedited timeline and often on a limited record. The law governing these orders is clearly…

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Not Malicious, But Misaligned: Why Utah Protective Order Hearings Have Become Functionally Rigged

Utah’s protective order system was not designed to punish innocent people. It was designed to prevent violence. That distinction matters. Over time, the framework has developed a structural imbalance. The…

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