Restraining orders, or as they're officially called in Arizona, protection orders, can now be started online.
People seeking orders of protection, injunctions against harassment, or injunctions against workplace harassment can start the petition to the court online here.
The petition is then filed in person at a court where a judge decides on the order.
If the judge rules there is a basis for the order and issues it, law enforcement officers serve the order of protection on the defendant.
Courts issued 42,000 orders of protection per year on average in Arizona according to a news release from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Only 50 percent of those were served, and it took nearly two weeks to serve the orders, according to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
"The new system allows those seeking protection to fill out their request online in the privacy of their home and visit any court in the state for the application to be processed," according to the commission chairperson Sheila Polk in the news release. "It also removes the burden of serving the Order from the party seeking protection and gives petitioners real-time information on their case. Overall, this new system will create a safer environment for everyone.”
