915.22 Civil injunction to restrain harassment or intimidation of victims or witnesses.

1. Upon application, the court shall issue a temporary restraining order prohibiting the harassment or intimidation of a victim or witness in a criminal case if the court finds, from specific facts shown by affidavit or by verified complaint, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that harassment or intimidation of an identified victim or witness in a criminal case exists or that the order is necessary to prevent and restrain an offense under this subchapter.

a. A temporary restraining order may be issued under this subsection without written or oral notice to the adverse party or the party’s attorney in a civil action under this section or in a criminal case if the court finds, upon written certification of facts, that the notice should not be required and that there is a reasonable probability that the party will prevail on the merits. The temporary restraining order shall set forth the reasons for the issuance of the order, be specific in terms, and describe in reasonable detail the act or acts being restrained.

b. A temporary restraining order issued without notice under this section shall be endorsed with the date and hour of issuance and be filed immediately in the office of the clerk of the district court issuing the order.

c. A temporary restraining order issued under this section shall expire at such time as the court directs, not to exceed ten days from issuance. The court, for good cause shown before expiration of the order, may extend the expiration date of the order for up to ten days, or for a longer period agreed to by the adverse party.

d. When a temporary restraining order is issued without notice, the motion for a protective order shall be set down for hearing at the earliest possible time and takes precedence over all matters except older matters of the same character. If the party does not proceed with the application for a protective order when the motion is heard, the court shall dissolve the temporary restraining order.

e. If, after two days’ notice to the party or after a shorter notice as the court prescribes, the adverse party appears and moves to dissolve or modify the temporary restraining order, the court shall proceed to hear and determine the motion as expeditiously as possible.

2. Upon motion of the party, the court shall issue a protective order prohibiting the harassment or intimidation of a victim or witness in a criminal case if the court, after a hearing, finds by a preponderance of the evidence that harassment or intimidation of an identified victim or witness in a criminal case exists or that the order is necessary to prevent and restrain an offense under this chapter.

a. At the hearing, any adverse party named in the complaint has the right to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses.

b. A protective order shall set forth the reasons for the issuance of the order, be specific in terms, and describe in reasonable detail the act or acts being restrained.

c. The court shall set the duration of the protective order for the period it determines is necessary to prevent the harassment or intimidation of the victim or witness, but the duration shall not be set for a period in excess of one year from the date of the issuance of the order. The party, at any time within ninety days before the expiration of the order, may apply for a new protective order under this section.

3. Violation of a restraining or protective order issued under this section constitutes contempt of court and may be punished by contempt proceedings.

4. An application may be made pursuant to this section in a criminal case, and if made, a district associate judge or magistrate having jurisdiction of the highest offense charged in the criminal case or a district judge shall have jurisdiction to enter an order under this section.

5. The clerk of the district court shall provide notice and copies of restraining orders issued pursuant to this section in a criminal case involving an alleged violation of section 708.2A to the applicable law enforcement agencies and the twenty-four-hour dispatcher for the law enforcement agencies, in the manner provided for protective orders under section 236.5 or 236A.7. The clerk shall provide notice and copies of modifications or vacations of these orders in the same manner.

98 Acts, ch 1090, §18, 84; 2017 Acts, ch 121, §33

Referred to in §229A.15A, 664A.1, 709.22