RCW 7.92.100 Burden of proof—Issuance of protection order—Remedies.

(1)(a) If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the petitioner has been a victim of stalking conduct by the respondent, the court shall issue a stalking protection order.

(b) The petitioner shall not be denied a stalking protection order because the petitioner or the respondent is a minor or because the petitioner did not report the stalking conduct to law enforcement. The court, when determining whether or not to issue a stalking protection order, may not require proof of the respondent's intentions regarding the acts alleged by the petitioner. Modification and extension of prior stalking protection orders shall be in accordance with this chapter.

(2) The court may provide relief as follows:

(a) Restrain the respondent from having any contact, including nonphysical contact, with the petitioner directly, indirectly, or through third parties regardless of whether those third parties know of the order;

(b) Exclude the respondent from the petitioner's residence, workplace, or school, or from the day care, workplace, or school of the petitioner's minor children;

(c) Prohibit the respondent from knowingly coming within, or knowingly remaining within, a specified distance from a specified location;

(d) Prohibit the respondent from keeping the petitioner and/or the petitioner's minor children under surveillance, to include electronic surveillance;

(e) Order any other injunctive relief as necessary or appropriate for the protection of the petitioner, to include a mental health and/or chemical dependency evaluation; and

(f) Require the respondent to pay the administrative court costs and service fees, as established by the county or municipality incurring the expense and to reimburse the petitioner for costs incurred in bringing the action, including reasonable attorneys' fees.

(3) In issuing the order, the court shall consider the provisions of RCW 9.41.800, and shall order the respondent to surrender, and prohibit the respondent from possessing, all firearms, dangerous weapons, and any concealed pistol license as required in RCW 9.41.800.

(4) Unless otherwise stated in the order, when a person is petitioning on behalf of a minor child or vulnerable adult, the relief authorized in this section shall apply only for the protection of the victim, and not the petitioner.

(5) In cases where the petitioner and the respondent attend the same public or private elementary, middle, or high school, the court, when issuing a protection order and providing relief, shall consider, among the other facts of the case, the severity of the act, any continuing physical danger or emotional distress to the petitioner, and the expense difficulty, and educational disruption that would be caused by a transfer of the respondent to another school. The court may order that the person restrained in the order not attend the public or approved private elementary, middle, or high school attended by the person protected by the order. In the event the court orders a transfer of the restrained person to another school, the parents or legal guardians of the person restrained in the order are responsible for transportation and other costs associated with the change of school by the person restrained in the order. The court shall send notice of the restriction on attending the same school as the person protected by the order to the public or approved private school the person restrained by the order will attend and to the school the person protected by the order attends.

[ 2019 c 245 § 7; 2013 c 84 § 10.]