A criminal charge must have been filed against the defendant (the person charged with the crime); the crime must be one of those listed in the answer to the previous question; you must be the Victim of the crime; and your relationship with the defendant must comply with the law. You may be asked to sign a request for a protection order at the time the criminal charges are filed. Your request puts the court on notice that you seek its protection. If you make such a request, the court may require you to come forward for a hearing before it issues the Protection Order. This usually happens on the day the defendant has an initial appearance.