Information on obtaining a peace or protective order in Maryland while the courts are operating on emergency procedures

As an initial matter, you do not have to stay in a home where you are not safe. You also do not need to apply for a peace order or a protective order to leave an unsafe home.

The Governor’s executive order excludes “Persons whose homes or residences have become unsafe, such as victims of domestic violence.”

Next, the Maryland courts are open while the Governor’s stay-at-home executive order is in place.  Please note, however, you can only get a peace order or a protective order if you’re a Maryland resident or the events happened in Maryland. 

The Commissioner’s office – where you have to apply for a peace order or a protective order – is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. You typically need to apply for a peace order or a protective order at the Commissioner’s Office in the county where you live.

The People’s Law Library of the Maryland State Law Library has some very good information on the legal standards for peace and protective orders, as well as some information on the courts’ emergency procedures:

Protective Orders: https://www.peoples-law.org/protective-orders

Peace Orders: https://www.peoples-law.org/peace-orders

The Chief Judge of the District Court has released special procedures for peace and protective orders while the courts are in emergency operations. A copy of the order is here:

https://www.msba.org/content/uploads/sites/7/2020/03/Temp-Hearings-DV-advice_COVID19_reissued-advice3.27.20-final-1-1.pdf

In a nutshell, all persons have to apply for an initial (interim) peace or protective order at the Commissioners’ office in their county. If an interim order is granted, the Commissioner will set then the matter in for a hearing for a temporary (longer-term) order before a judge in either the District Court or the Circuit Court (if there are custody issues involved) for a certain date. However, the head judge of each court reviews the interim orders to see if the date should be changed based on the severity of the circumstances. If that happens, they will contact you with the new date.

The Temporary Hearing usually only involves the petitioner of the interim order (i.e., you) answering questions posed by the judge.  In Carroll County, the Women’s Law Center is still available to assist petitioners with Temporary Hearings. If the Temporary order is granted, then a final hearing will be set for a later date.

A couple of things of note. Some of the local Commissioners’ offices/Courts may be handling things differently. In Carroll County, for example, as of March 30, 2020, they are still seeing persons live at the Commissioners’ office. Other counties may be taking applications by telephone. The Carroll County District Court is also holding Temporary Hearings in person at the Courthouse. However, if you believe that it would not be safe for you to attend a live Temporary Hearing you can file a request for a remote hearing via phone or video. Please note that the hearing date for a temporary hearing set by the court or the Commissioner can be different than the date(s) set forth in the Chief Judge’s order.

Here is a listing for all of the Commissioners’ Offices in Maryland so that you can call the office in your county before applying for a peace order or protective order:

https://mdcourts.gov/district/directories/commissionermap

Here is a listing of all the District Court Offices in Maryland so that you can call the Clerk’s Office if you need more information about your case. You want to ask to speak to the civil or family law clerk:

https://mdcourts.gov/district/directories/courtmap

Here is a listing of all the Circuit Court Offices in Maryland so that you can call the Clerk’s Office if you need more information about your case. You want to ask to speak to the civil or family law clerk:

https://mdcourts.gov/circuit

National Survivor Resources:

1-in-6: National Helpline for Men who were Sexually Abused or Assaulted: https://1in6.org/helpline/

End Rape on Campus Resource List: https://endrapeoncampus.org/resource-list-soc

FORCE has a listing of therapeutic and other resources for survivors sexual assault and IPV: http://www.upsettingrapeculture.com/more-resources

Love Is Respect: 1-866-331-9474 www.loveisrespect.org This is a free and confidential hotline available 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

National Coalition to End Domestic Violence Resource list and 1-800 number: https://ncadv.org/resources

National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. or, NNEDV Resources on Response to COVID-19 (compilation of state coalition responses at the end of the link) https://nnedv.org/latest_update/resources-response-coronavirus-covid-19/

NNEDV Resource List-National Map https://www.womenslaw.org/find-help

National Sexual Violence Resource Center https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help

National Sexual Violence Resource Center LGBTQ Resource List (compilation of over a dozen LGBTQ-specific organizations): https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2012-09/Publications_NSVRC_Resourcelist_Sexual-Violence-LGBTQ.pdf

One Love https://www.joinonelove.org/get-help/  (text resource, call-in, app for phone)

One Love’s My Plan https://www.myplanapp.org/home  The myPlan app is designed to help people who identify as female or their friends determine if a relationship is unsafe. It was created in conjunction with researchers at Johns Hopkins University using 20 years of research with female-identified survivors of relationship abuse.

RAINN: https://www.rainn.org/

Maryland Survivor Resources:

FORCE has a listing of therapeutic and other resources for survivors sexual assault and IPV: http://www.upsettingrapeculture.com/more-resources

The LGBTQIA legal services organization FreeState Justice: https://freestate-justice.org/what-we-do/legal-services/ or via phone at 410-625-5428.

House of Ruth (Intimate Partner Resources): https://hruth.org/ and COVID-19 resources: https://hruth.org/COVID19/

Maryland Coalition on Sexual Assault (MCASA) provides protective order services and also has a resource listing: https://mcasa.org/updates-information-on-covid-19

NNEDV Resource List-Maryland https://www.womenslaw.org/find-help/md

If you are interested in pursuing a protective order, you can contact Women’s Law Center via phone or email 410-321-8761; admin@wlcmd.org

Carroll County:

Carroll County Family and Children’s Services (24-hour hotline, accessible via phone and text): 443-865-8031

Rape Crisis of Carroll County 24 hr hotline: 410-857-7322 All services are provided free of charge. They serve any victim of sexual violence age 12 and older, and secondary victims.

Baltimore Metro Area:

Gender Violence Clinic at the University of Maryland assists with peace and protective orders:  (https://www.law.umaryland.edu/Directory/profile.asp?id=982)

Turanaround in Baltimore (counseling, shelter and support): https://turnaroundinc.org/

New Jersey Survivor Resources:

New Jersey Office of Domestic Violence Services (resource listing) https://www.nj.gov/dcf/women/domestic/

New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence https://njcedv.org/about/

Deaf Advocacy Project https://njcedv.org/deaf-advocacy-project/

Pennsylvania Survivor Resources:

Womeslaw.org has a list of survivor/support group services in all counties in Pennsylvania, which you may find helpful: https://www.womenslaw.org/find-help/pa/advocates-and-shelters/local-programs/all

Community Resources focused on Survivors of Color:

CARE program at University of California Santa Barbara has a listing of therapeutic and other resources for various communities of color: http://wgse.sa.ucsb.edu/care/how-we-help/communities-we-care-for/survivors-of-color

End Rape on Campus Resource List: https://endrapeoncampus.org/resource-list-soc

FORCE has a listing of therapeutic and other resources for survivors sexual assault and IPV: http://www.upsettingrapeculture.com/more-resources

Community Resources focused on Survivors with Disabilities:

Deaf Abused Women’s Network (DAWN) Email: Hotline@deafdawn.org; VP: 202-559-5366 www.deafdawn.org

Domestic Violence Initiative  (303) 839-5510/ (877) 839-5510 www.dviforwomen.org

New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence’s Deaf Advocacy Project https://njcedv.org/deaf-advocacy-project/

Safety First Kansas City Initiative’s Safety Planning Guide for Survivors with Disabilities: http://www.calcasa.org/wp-content/uploads/files/angie-blumel-advocate-guide-safety-planning-final-printer.pdf

Community Resources focused on LGBTQIA Survivors:

End Rape on Campus Resource List: https://endrapeoncampus.org/resource-list-soc

FreeState Justice: https://freestate-justice.org/what-we-do/legal-services/ or via phone at 410-625-5428.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center LGBTQ Resource List (compilation of over a dozen LGBTQ-specific organizations): https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2012-09/Publications_NSVRC_Resourcelist_Sexual-Violence-LGBTQ.pdf

Community Resources focused on immigrant survivors:

End Rape on Campus Resource List: https://endrapeoncampus.org/resource-list-soc

CAIR Maryland Resource List (both IPV and non-IPV services): https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/search?state=MD

PA Immig Rescourse Ctr Immigrant Survivors Advocate Network Visual Safety Plan (also links to other resource docs): https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1ucmWGNOBdnnAc204Le9wvcWRcBGnGEb4

PIRC Immigrant Survivors Project (PA legal services and resources, both PA and non-PA specific) http://www.pirclaw.org/programs/immigrant-survivors-project/

Community Resources focused on Male and Male-Identified Survivors:

1-in-6: National Helpline for Men who were Sexually Abused or Assaulted: https://1in6.org/helpline/

Male Survivors Coronavirus webpage: https://malesurvivor.org/coronavirus-helping-male-survivors-cope/

Bystander Resources:

One Love’s MyPlan app: https://www.myplanapp.org/home  The myPlan app is designed to help people who identify as female or their friends determine if a relationship is unsafe. It was created in conjunction with researchers at Johns Hopkins University using 20 years of research with female-identified survivors of relationship abuse.

Stop it Now Helpline (focused on intervention and prevention strategies for targeted at eliminated child sexual abuse): https://www.stopitnow.org/about-us

Resources for those at Risk of Committing Violence:

Confidential Stop it Now Helpline (focused on intervention and prevention strategies for targeted at eliminated child sexual abuse, and available to talk to adults about their own at-risk behaviors): https://www.stopitnow.org/about-us

National Domestic Violence Hotline (Specialize in intimate partner violence, dating abuse and, healthy relationship education for both survivors and those at risk of committing harm) https://www.thehotline.org/help/