Protective orders and restraining orders sound very much the same. They are quite different. But violations of them are serious and often treated severely by authorities in Connecticut. They can sometimes result in felony charges. Anyone restricted under such an order needs to be working with an attorney.

Not only can an attorney make sure a person under such a domestic violence order fully understands the scope of restrictions they face, but if accusations are raised that the order has been violated, an attorney can help protect the rights of the person under the order and work toward an effective resolution.

Evidence of just how assertive the government is willing to be in enforcing protective or restraining orders is clear from a case out of Fairfield. Police in that city confirmed that they arrested a 32-year-old man recently, booking him on with 10 counts of violating a protective order and conditions of release. He was due to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court late in January. The current disposition of his case wasn't known at the time of this post.

These are serious charges. Police claim that the arrest stems from alleged ongoing stalking of a Fairfield woman that dates back to January of last year. According to authorities, he allegedly started shadowing the woman at her place of work, which earned him a warning to stay away. They say his efforts to make contact with her continued over subsequent months with him allegedly appearing in her office and leaving a note on her car.

The woman reportedly obtained a restraining order in April, but police say the man continued to put in appearances at her place of work.

Then, on Jan. 12 of this year, the woman reported to police that the man was again trying to contact her, under an alias and through accounts on Facebook and Twitter. She said she identified him because of his profile photo.

To date, the man has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the alleged activities.

Source: CTPost.com, "Man charged with online harassment," Genevieve Reilly, Jan. 25, 2012