Notes from practice · D.C. Superior Court
Another win in D.C. Superior Court anti-stalking order (ASO) trial
Jamison Koehler
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09/22/2026
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Koehler Law prevailed yesterday at another trial in the Domestic Violence Division of D.C. Superior Court. The court denied an anti-stalking order (ASO) petition filed...
D.C. Court dismisses petition for anti-stalking order
People seek anti-stalking orders (ASOs) in Washington, D.C. for many different reasons. Some petitions involve conduct that legitimately falls within the protections provided by the...
Crowded dockets delay CPO and ASO hearings in D.C.
Presiding over civil protection order (CPO) and anti-stalking order (ASO) cases is one of the most demanding assignments for D.C. Superior Court judges. Each morning,...
Should your CPO/ASO case “trail” your criminal matter?
Domestic violence charges in criminal court are frequently accompanied by a petition for a civil protection order (CPO) or anti-stalking order (ASO). This is because...
Should I consent to a “CPO without admissions?”
If you are the Respondent in a civil protection order case, everyone else involved in the proceedings will want you to agree to a “consent...
On the Victims of Violent Crime Fund (VVCF) in D.C.
The Victims of Violent Crime Fund (VVCF) in D.C. provides financial assistance to victims of violent crimes and their families. Funded primarily by court-ordered fees...
Extending a civil protection order in D.C.
In order to extend a civil protection order (CPO) in Washington, D.C., the petitioner must show “good cause” that the protective order is still needed....
Trial Transcript: “Bad karma” and other deadly threats
BY RESPONDENT’S COUNSEL Q: Okay. And at some point – Mr. Jones is from Russia, right? A: Yes. Q: And at some point he came...
On “true threats” in Counterman v. Colorado
For a threat to be unprotected by the First Amendment, the prosecution must prove that the defendant subjectively understood that the statement could be perceived...
Narrowing the scope of D.C.’s stalking statute in Mashaud v. Boone
Jamison Koehler
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07/14/2023
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In Mashaud v. Boone, the D.C. Court of Appeals limited the scope of unprotected speech under District’s stalking statute to threats, obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement,...
Quashing a CPO Petition in D.C.
The court’s ability to hear a CPO matter in Washington, D.C. requires proof of an “intra-family offense” with sufficient connection to the District....
No room for the boy
Representing the bad guys: Criminal defense lawyers sometimes make tradeoffs when we take on domestic violence cases...
Cross-examining a pro se petitioner in a CPO case
Trying a case — in this case, a CPO hearing — against an unrepresented party is always an experience....
New CPO law takes effect in D.C.
Jamison Koehler
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05/04/2021
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D.C.’s new law on civil protection orders (CPOs) redefines the category of people eligible for protection. It also extends coverage to animals, minors and victims...
CPO hearings and some DV trials begin again
Jamison Koehler
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11/11/2020
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Civil protection order (CPO) hearings begin again in D.C. Superior Court. Trials in misdemeanor domestic violence (DV) cases in which the defendant is in custody...