We have all seen the bizarre result of Colorado’s laws which are not well thought out. Here is another case in point: did you know that contact with a hamster could send you to jail? It must have been an animal rights group that pressured the Colorado legislature to include animals in Protection / Restraining Orders.
Touch a Hamster, Go to Jail
C.R.S. 18-6-803.5, the Protection / Restraining Orders Statute, provides that it is a violation of the order if the restrained party “contacts, harasses, injures, intimidates, molests, threatens, or touches the protected person or protected property, including an animal”. Police in Arapahoe, Douglas and Broomfield County are also charged with making a mandatory arrest under this law.
Domestic violence and animal rights wackos are always peddling their stuff to eager Colorado lawmakers, who want to claim at election time that they made a difference. Now animals can be protected, and if you touch one, you could go to jail in Jefferson, Denver and Adams County. Note that you don’t have to hurt the hamster – just touch it.
Getting Protection / Restraining Orders is Easy
Men and women who want to obtain Protection or Restraining Order find little resistance when approaching a Colorado judge. They can go to a County Court, District Court or Municipal Court judge and allege abuse to them and threats to their pet. Next, the defendant or restrained party is served a temporary protection order without any chance to defend themselves. Thereafter, if they have contact with what the plaintiff says is their pet, the defendant will go directly to jail. I must admit, this takes the cake as Colorado’s goofiest law. Is the couple’s goldfish protected too?
Don’t imagine your pet is safe to contact when a spouse or ex is upset with you. Read Protection / Restraining Orders carefully, and follow it to a “T”. This now includes any contact restrictions on the family pet. We all know how emotional divorce and separation can be. Our lawyers know all too well how an angry ex will seek to hurt you. Even if they hate the hamster, they’ll tell the Domestic Violence advocate it is theirs.
We try to keep you informed as you read our blogs. We want you to be prepared. If you are served a temporary or permanent Protection / Restraining Order, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent and call our experienced lawyers at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.