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Pennsylvania Statutes Title 18 Pa.C.S.A. Crimes and Offenses § 4955. Violation of orders

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Punishment.--Any person violating any order made pursuant to section 4954 (relating to protective orders) may be punished in any of the following ways:

(1) For any substantive offense described in this subchapter, where such violation of an order is a violation of any provision of this subchapter.

(2) As a contempt of the court making such order. No finding of contempt shall be a bar to prosecution for a substantive offense under section 2709 (relating to harassment), 2709.1 (relating to stalking), 4952 (relating to intimidation of witnesses or victims) or 4953 (relating to retaliation against witness or victim), but:

(i) any person so held in contempt shall be entitled to credit for any punishment imposed therein against any sentence imposed on conviction of said substantive offense; and

(ii) any conviction or acquittal for any substantive offense under this title shall be a bar to subsequent punishment for contempt arising out of the same act.

(3) By revocation of any form of pretrial release, or the forfeiture of bail and the issuance of a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest or remanding him to custody. Revocation may, after hearing and on substantial evidence, in the sound discretion of the court, be made whether the violation of order complained of has been committed by the defendant personally or was caused or encouraged to have been committed by the defendant.

(b) Arrest.--An arrest for a violation of an order issued under section 4954 may be without warrant upon probable cause whether or not the violation is committed in the presence of a law enforcement officer. The law enforcement officer may verify, if necessary, the existence of a protective order by telephone or radio communication with the appropriate police department.

(c) Arraignment.--Subsequent to an arrest, the defendant shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the court that issued the order. When that court is unavailable, the defendant shall be arraigned before a magisterial district judge or, in cities of the first class, a Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge, in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Pennsylvania Statutes Title 18 Pa.C.S.A. Crimes and Offenses § 4955. Violation of orders - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-18-pacsa-crimes-and-offenses/pa-csa-sect-18-4955/

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