Prince George's County Peace Order Lawyer
FrizWoods represents petitioners and respondents in Prince George's County peace-order cases. We accept standalone civil proceedings and cases connected to harassment, stalking, assault, trespass, property damage, telephone misuse, or electronic communications.
Our office at 14513 Main Street, Suite B is a short walk from the Upper Marlboro courts. Max Frizalone is a former Prince George's County prosecutor, and Luke Woods is a former supervising public defender with more than 20 years of trial experience.
The firm represents only one side in an individual matter. Call (877) 343-1031 or contact us online to discuss an incident, petition, current order, or hearing.
When is a peace order the right case?
A peace order generally applies when the petitioner is not eligible to seek a protective order based on the parties' relationship. It may involve neighbors, coworkers, classmates, acquaintances, or other people outside the protective-order relationships.
The relationship alone does not establish a peace-order case. The petition must identify a qualifying act. Maryland law includes:
- Serious bodily harm or fear of imminent serious bodily harm
- Assault in any degree
- False imprisonment
- Harassment or stalking
- Trespass
- Malicious destruction of property
- Misuse of telephone facilities or equipment
- Misuse of electronic communication or an interactive computer service
- Non-consensual distribution of an intimate image
- Visual surveillance under the listed criminal statutes
The alleged act must have occurred within 30 days before filing. A peace-order case is not available when the respondent was a child at the time of the alleged act.
If the parties have a qualifying family, household, co-parent, or sexual relationship, start with our Prince George's County protective order page.
Help seeking a peace order
For a petitioner, FrizWoods can help:
- Determine whether a peace order or protective order is the correct proceeding
- Identify the alleged qualifying act and check the 30-day filing period
- Prepare a clear timeline
- Preserve complete messages, call logs, photographs, videos, repair records, and witness information
- Identify no-contact, stay-away, workplace, school, residence, counseling, mediation, cost, or visual-surveillance relief supported by the statute
- Prepare testimony and exhibits for a temporary or final hearing
Help responding to a petition
A respondent should follow every current restriction unless the court modifies or rescinds it. Contact prohibited by an interim or temporary order can create a separate problem even when the allegations are disputed.
Our work for a respondent can include:
- Reviewing the petition, current order, proof of service, and hearing notice
- Comparing each allegation with the acts listed in the peace-order statute
- Preserving complete communications and other records
- Identifying witnesses with personal knowledge
- Preparing exhibits, testimony, and cross-examination
- Addressing the required claim that qualifying conduct is likely to occur in the future
- Evaluating a contested hearing, consent, or another available option
Peace-order hearings in Prince George's County
Prince George's County has District Court locations in Upper Marlboro and Hyattsville. Read the hearing notice closely because it identifies the courthouse, date, and time for the case.
The stages can include:
- Interim peace order: A commissioner may consider a petition when the District Court clerk's office is closed.
- Temporary peace order: A judge applies a reasonable-grounds standard concerning a past qualifying act and likely future qualifying conduct.
- Final peace order: At a contested final hearing, the petitioner must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the respondent committed, and is likely to commit in the future, a qualifying act. A final peace order may also be entered by consent.
A temporary peace order ordinarily lasts no more than seven days after service. A judge may extend it for up to 30 days for service, protection, or other good cause. Final relief may last up to six months, with a possible six-month extension for good cause after notice and a hearing.
Relief in a final peace order
The court may prohibit qualifying acts, threats, contact, attempted contact, harassment, or entry into a residence. It may require the respondent to remain away from a workplace, school, or temporary residence. The court may also address counseling, mediation when both parties agree, filing costs, and certain visual-surveillance devices.
The relief must be limited to what is minimally necessary to protect the petitioner or the petitioner's employee.
Evidence to organize before the hearing
Useful preparation can include:
- A dated timeline focused on the 30-day filing period
- Complete message threads instead of selected screenshots
- Call logs, photographs, videos, location records, and repair documents
- Witness names and what each witness personally observed
- Prior or pending court filings involving the parties
- Every version of any interim or temporary order
Bring police reports or criminal charging documents if they exist. A peace-order hearing is a civil case even when the same event also led to a criminal allegation.
Communities we serve in Prince George's County
We handle peace-order matters involving Upper Marlboro, Bowie, Hyattsville, College Park, Laurel, Greenbelt, Clinton, Fort Washington, Oxon Hill, Suitland, and nearby communities.
See our Upper Marlboro peace and protective order guide for courthouse-focused information.
Related resources
- Maryland peace-order overview
- Prince George's County protective order lawyer
- Protective order vs. peace order
- Alleged violation of a peace order
- Private peace or protective order next-step tool
Talk with a Prince George's County peace order lawyer
The 30-day filing period and short hearing schedule make early evidence preservation important. Call (877) 343-1031 or use the confidential consultation form to speak with FrizWoods.