What happens at an Order of Protection hearing in Missouri? Steve Waterkotte from Combs Waterkotte Criminal Defense Law Firm in Missouri discusses what to expect at an order of protection hearing and how to conduct yourself in front of a judge.
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Scott Michael Dunn: What should I expect at a hearing for an order of protection?
Steve Waterkotte: Depending on the judge, they tend to be a little bit more informal. But that said, the full rules of evidence apply.
What I always tell our client, number one is behave appropriately. No demonstrative gestures, no shaking of the head, rolling your eyes or scoffing when you hear the other person testify. I drill that into the head.
You’re in a courtroom and there’s a sense of respect and decorum. I’ve won cases and lost cases where it was based solely on my client’s behavior, or vice versa. We’ve won them because that person was acting like a jerk, acting like an idiot in court and they [lost] their credibility. So that’s number one.
Number two is to be prepared. And we’re going to have you prepared. You’re going to be prepared to testify. You’re going to be prepared to stand up to cross examination. When we take on a case, our client will be prepared for that. It’s not only their testimony and their cross examination.
And then the client and I work collaboratively together as the hearing aid approaches to gather evidence. I usually get text messages. Sometimes Snapchats, emails, voicemails. Those tend to come into play in many of these cases. We are going to collect anything that we believe is going to be beneficial and helpful for our case and to rebut these allegations that are lodged against our client.
Chris Combs: And social media too.
Steve Waterkotte: Social media, a Facebook post, instagram stuff.
If you need Missouri’s leading order of protection defense team to defend your rights and freedom, speak to one of our attorneys today at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online for a free case review.
