No-Contact Orders Explained

A no-contact order is a court-issued bond condition prohibiting the defendant from any communication with a specified person — typically the alleged victim in an assault, family violence, or stalking case. Violation of a no-contact order is treated seriously by Ellis County courts and can result in immediate bond revocation, a new criminal charge, and substantially harsher conditions if the defendant is eventually re-released.

The term "contact" is broad. It includes direct communication (in-person conversations, phone calls, texts, emails, messages on social media platforms) and indirect communication (passing messages through a third party, sending gifts, communicating through children in shared custody situations, posting about the alleged victim on social media in ways they could see). Even responding to a message initiated by the alleged victim can violate the order.

No-contact orders also typically include geographic restrictions. The defendant may be prohibited from being within a specified distance — often 200 to 500 feet — of the alleged victim's home, workplace, or school. Defendants who share an address with the alleged victim must arrange alternate living situations until the no-contact order is modified or lifted.

Modifying a no-contact order requires a court hearing and the judge's approval. The alleged victim cannot unilaterally lift the order by inviting contact — the order is between the defendant and the court, not the defendant and the victim. Defendants should consult their attorney before any contact, even if the alleged victim has reached out first.