Violating a Court Protective Order for Bias or Prejudice, including repeated assault convictions, is punishable as what?

• A. Class B Misdemeanor
• B. 3rd Degree Felony
• C. Class A Misdemeanor
• D. State Jail Felony

Answer: (B)

Violating a Court Protective Order is intended to protect individuals from harm, and the law sets a base penalty for such violations. When there are prior offenses, especially repeated assault convictions, the offense is elevated to a higher level to reflect the history of violence and the danger to the protected person. A third-degree felony is the result in this scenario, carrying 2 to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. The other options don’t fit because the presence of prior violent offenses elevates the penalty beyond a misdemeanor or a less severe felony.