Walnut Avenue’s Legal Advocacy
Advocates specialize in crisis intervention, which means that Walnut Avenue’s scope of service is focused on emergency protective orders. This involves:
Providing information about family law (domestic violence, elder abuse) restraining orders and survivors’ legal rights
Providing assistance with family law restraining order paperwork
Strategizing around safety concerns and accessing legal resources
Attending court hearings with survivors as a support person
An advocate cannot provide legal advice or representation like an attorney can, but they can be present with you at every step of your family law restraining order process. They can also help you weigh the pros and cons of applying for a restraining order.
Walnut Avenue’s legal advocates can be found every Thursday morning outside of Department D in the Watsonville courthouse, attending restraining order hearings. They wear purple lanyards with ID tags. Don’t hesitate to introduce yourself!
How to get connected with an advocate for assistance with your restraining order process:
Make an appointment to meet with an advocate by calling our main office: (831) 426-3062
Find information on the legal process or about local legal resources through our 24-hour domestic violence helpline: (866) 269-2559
Look for our advocates wearing purple lanyards every Thursday morning in Department D at the Watsonville Courthouse
The Restraining Order Process in Santa Cruz County: Domestic Violence & Elder Abuse
A person of any gender and sexual orientation may ask the court for a family law restraining order. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to do so. Older teens under age 18 can also petition for a restraining order on their own behalf.
There are three main types of civil protective orders: a civil restraining order, a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO), and an elder abuse restraining order (EARO). Walnut Avenue provides assistance with the DVRO and EARO. Both options are free unless you decide to hire a lawyer or other third party. Only a judge can grant a restraining order.
The process of applying for a DVRO or an EARO are very similar and follows four main stages:
Apply (petition) for a temporary restraining order.
Serve the respondent.
Prepare for your hearing in court.
Attend the hearing to see if the temporary restraining order will be made into a more permanent one.
Has law enforcement ever arrived at an incident in which you were involved?
When law enforcement responds to a domestic violence incident, sometimes a person might be given a paper titled “Emergency Protective Order” (EPO). An EPO is a type of protective order that can be granted by the on-call judge when a law enforcement officer makes a call and says that they believe that an EPO would be a good idea. You are allowed to ask an officer to request an EPO from the judge, but there’s no guarantee that you will receive one.
An EPO only lasts a few days and restricts another person from being able to contact someone or to come within 100 yards of their residence. It’s intended to buy some time for a victim of a crime to decide what they would like to do next to protect themselves in the longer term. If you receive an EPO and you choose to do nothing, then the EPO will simply expire.
If you’ve had contact with law enforcement during or after a domestic violence incident, we recommend contacting the District Attorney of Santa Cruz County to find out:
Whether or not there will be a criminal prosecution
Whether or not a criminal protective order (CPO) has been issued by the court on your behalf
A description of your legal rights as a victim of crime
Whether or not you may be eligible for any services offered to victims of crime
Santa Cruz County Courthouses &
Court Clerks
Santa Cruz Courthouse
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 420-2200
Clerks offices open M-F, 8am-3pm.
Watsonville Courthouse
1 Second Street
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 786-7200
Clerks offices open M-F, 8am-3pm.
main entrance to the watsonville courthouse
Non-Legal Options for Domestic Violence: Restorative Justice, Transformative Justice, & Community Accountability
We understand that engaging with law enforcement and the legal system isn’t always the safest option for someone who’s experienced harm. Other strategies for addressing interpersonal violence have been developed, although there is no one single approach which successfully intervenes for all situations.
You can learn more about restorative justice, transformative justice, community accountability, and resources which offer services around these options on our Space for Change page.