A protective order is one of the most powerful tools a Maryland court can issue — and one of the least understood until you're suddenly on one side of it.

On June 11, a candidate for Maryland governor, Dwight Larcomb of Frederick, was found guilty in Frederick County of stalking, intimidation, and violating a former partner's protective order. According to court records and local reporting, the case traced back to a protective order issued in 2020 and a series of prohibited contacts that followed — phone calls, voicemails, and messages sent through both a real and a fake social media account.

Set the politics aside. What the case really illustrates is something most Marylanders never think about until it lands on their doorstep: how protective orders actually work, what counts as a violation, and how serious the consequences can be — for the person seeking protection and the person bound by the order alike.

What a protective order actually is

A protective order is a civil order from a Maryland court that tells one person to stop certain conduct toward another and to stay away from them. Despite the name, it isn't a criminal charge by itself — it's a court order. But that distinction matters less than people think, because violating the order is a crime, and the conduct that leads to one is often criminal on its own.

Protective orders are designed for situations involving abuse, threats, or stalking between people who have a close or domestic relationship. They can require the other person to stop all contact, stay away from your home and workplace, leave a shared residence, surrender firearms, and — in family situations — they can set temporary custody and support terms.

Protective order or peace order? The relationship decides

Maryland actually has two parallel tools, and which one applies depends entirely on your relationship to the other person.

Protective Order

For domestic relationships

Spouses and ex-spouses, people who live together or have a child together, close relatives, and people in a recent dating or intimate relationship. Filed under Maryland's Family Law Article (§ 4–501 et seq.). Can last up to one year, and may be extended or, in some cases, made longer.

Peace Order

For everyone else

Neighbors, coworkers, acquaintances, or strangers — people with no domestic relationship. Filed in District Court under the Courts & Judicial Proceedings Article (§ 3–1501 et seq.). Lasts up to six months. The relief is similar, and just like a protective order, violating it is a crime.

Choosing the wrong one costs time you may not have. If you walk into the courthouse asking for the wrong order, a judge can't simply convert it — and in an urgent situation, that delay matters.

The three stages of a protective order

Protective orders don't appear all at once. They move through stages, and the protections tighten as a judge hears more.

1. Interim

If the courts are closed, a District Court commissioner can issue an interim protective order right away based on the petitioner's sworn statement. It lasts only until a judge can hold a hearing — usually the next business day or two.

2. Temporary

A judge reviews the petition, often without the other person present, and can issue a temporary order that typically lasts about a week — long enough to schedule the final hearing and notify the other side.

3. Final

This is the full hearing. Both people can appear, present evidence, and testify. To grant a final protective order, the judge must find by a preponderance of the evidence — more likely than not — that the abuse occurred. A final order can last up to a year, and the terms can be far-reaching.

Both sides should treat the final hearing as the moment that matters. It is the petitioner's chance to present a complete account — and the respondent's only real opportunity to challenge the allegations before a long-term order takes effect.

What actually counts as a violation

This is where people get into trouble — often without intending to. A no-contact order means no contact, and Maryland courts read that broadly. The recent Frederick County case is a textbook example: the prohibited contact reportedly included calls, voicemails, and messages sent through both a real and a fake social media account.

Contact that commonly violates an order includes:

The cost of a violation

Under Maryland law, violating a protective order is a misdemeanor. A first violation carries up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A second or later violation carries up to a year and up to $2,500. Peace order violations carry the same penalties.

But the number that surprises people is this: you can be punished twice for the same episode. Maryland law lets a court sentence a person both for violating the order and for the underlying conduct, when that conduct is a separate crime. That's exactly what happened in the Frederick County case — the defendant was convicted not only of violating the order, but of stalking and intimidation on top of it. One pattern of contact, multiple convictions.

Two sides of the same order

Almost every protective order story has two people in it, and Cochran & Chhabra has stood on both sides of the courtroom.

If you need protection

Acting quickly and presenting your account clearly is everything. The right order, filed correctly, with the specific relief you actually need — that's what turns a frightening situation into an enforceable boundary. The interim and temporary stages move fast, and a complete, well-organized petition makes the difference at the final hearing.

If you've been served or accused

A protective order can cost you your firearms, your time with your children, your home, and — if a violation is charged — your freedom and your record. The instinct to explain yourself directly to the other person is the single most common way people turn a civil order into a criminal case. Follow the order exactly, and challenge it in court, with counsel, not on your own.

If you believe an order against you is unfair, the answer is never to ignore it. The order stands until a judge changes it. Violating it while you're "in the right" simply hands the other side a new, criminal problem to use against you.

Why this case is worth paying attention to

High-profile cases come and go from the headlines. What they leave behind is a teaching moment. The Frederick County verdict is a reminder that a protective order is not a formality or a piece of paper to be argued with after the fact — it is a court order with real teeth, and Maryland enforces it seriously, no matter who you are.

Whether you're seeking protection or facing an order, the same thing is true: what you do in the first days shapes everything that follows. That's the moment to get clear, calm, experienced advice.

Facing a protective order — on either side?

Cochran & Chhabra handles protective and peace order matters across Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, for petitioners and respondents alike. Your consultation is free and confidential.

Request a Free Consultation Call 410.268.5515

Questions, answered

What's the difference between a protective order and a peace order?
A protective order is for people in a defined domestic relationship — spouses and ex-spouses, people who live together or share a child, close relatives, or a recent intimate partner. A peace order is for everyone else, like a neighbor or coworker. Protective orders can last up to a year; peace orders up to six months. Violating either is a crime.
Who can file for a protective order in Maryland?
Anyone with a qualifying relationship: a current or former spouse, someone you live with or have lived with intimately, a relative by blood, marriage, or adoption, a co-parent, or someone you've dated or been intimate with in the past year. Vulnerable adults are also covered. With no qualifying relationship, a peace order is the right path.
What happens if someone violates a protective order?
It's a separate crime. A first violation is a misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; a second or later violation carries up to a year and up to $2,500. The person can also be charged separately for the underlying conduct — so one episode can produce several convictions.
Does a text, DM, or message through a friend count?
Yes. A no-contact order covers calls, texts, email, and social media — and contact made through someone else on your behalf. Using a fake or anonymous account doesn't get around it and can be treated as evidence of intent.
Can a protective order affect my gun rights, custody, or record?
It can. A final order can require surrendering firearms for its duration, can include temporary custody and use-of-home terms, and a related conviction can stay on your record. Those collateral consequences are why both sides benefit from counsel.
I've been accused of violating an order. What should I do?
Follow the order exactly — even if you think it's unfair — and stop all contact, including indirect contact. Then talk to a lawyer before your hearing. Both a final order and a violation conviction carry lasting consequences, and your first moves matter most.

Sources for the case referenced above: reporting by The Baltimore Banner and the Frederick News-Post. This article is general information about Maryland law, not legal advice, and does not address the specifics of any individual case.

A court order stays in force until a judge changes it — and a single social media post can prove a violation. See how jail calls and social media become evidence.