Protection Orders

1. No Contact Orders 

The Shelby County Attorney Office can assist if criminal charges are pending.

• A No Contact Order cannot be issued until the offender appears in front of a judge
• The victim and police must be clear when a report is made that the victim wants a No Contact Order
  • The police should then mark a box on the preliminary charge to alert the prosecutor and the judge that a No Contact Order has been requested by the victim
• A No Contact Order can be in effect while the case is pending

Should the offender plead or be found guilty, the judge may put a No Contact Order in place for five years.

What does a no contact order mean?

If the defendant is served with a No Contact Order, he or she must avoid all contact with the victim(s). This means the defendant may not communicate with the victim in person, by phone, mail, and social media, or through a third party. Any contact with the defendant is considered a violation of the No Contact Order.  If you, the victim, were to contact the defendant, through any of the means mentioned, while the No Contact Order is in place, you would be violating the Order and may be held in contempt of court.

Contact law enforcement with ANY possible violations of the No Contact Order.

2. Protective Orders 

Applications may be obtained from the Clerk of Court (712) 755-5543 at the Shelby County Courthouse, 612 Court Street in Harlan.

A victim can ask the court for relief from domestic abuse with or without an attorney.  Each clerk of court office in Iowa has forms available for victims to fill out. There is no cost to file a protective order. The people involved must have a relationship where certain conditions are met. Please contact the clerk of court for further requirements.

3. Restraining Orders 

A restraining order is a civil matter and is handled by either the requesting party or his/her attorney. The County Attorney's Office does not handle or involve itself in restraining orders as we have no standing.  A party may speak to a private attorney for advice on how to obtain such an order. The Iowa State Bar Association has a list of lawyers who will do an initial consultation for $25/less. For this list, go to http://iowabar.org.