A Digital Shield for Safety: King County’s Protection Order Portal
In a significant move towards enhancing safety for vulnerable individuals, King County’s Protection Order Portal has transformed how people can seek legal protection from threatening situations. Launched in June 2024, this innovative online system—developed through a partnership between King County government and Microsoft—serves an average of 17 people daily who fear for their safety from domestic partners, roommates, or stalkers. The portal represents a dramatic shift from the previous pen-and-paper process that required multiple courthouse visits, making protection more accessible for those who might be hesitant to pursue it publicly. King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion emphasized the program’s importance, stating it “helps save lives, and it helps people feel more safe in their home environment, in their community, and fewer children are witnesses to domestic violence.”
The Protection Order Portal addresses various threatening scenarios including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, cyber stalking, and harassment. What’s notable about these orders is that they don’t require that a crime has already been committed—applicants need only provide evidence supporting their safety concerns. Once granted by a judge, the orders make certain behaviors illegal, such as contacting or approaching the protected individual, and allow victims to contact police if violations occur. The protection extends beyond the petitioner to potentially include children and pets. Recent legislative changes have further strengthened these protections, including rules that notify survivors when abusers petition to regain access to firearms, increased penalties for abusers found with homemade or “ghost” guns, and provisions that make it easier for protected minors to maintain coverage when they turn 18.
Before the pandemic necessitated online services, the protection order process was cumbersome and intimidating. Kelsey Greer, program manager of the Protection Order Advocacy Program, described how applicants previously needed to make multiple courthouse trips—picking up documents, filing petitions, and attending three separate hearings. Most petitioners navigate this process without legal representation, making the complicated paperwork particularly challenging. The new portal addresses this by featuring a user-friendly questionnaire that automatically transfers responses to the official application. Though the process is now more accessible, it’s important to note that the portal doesn’t alter the legal standards required for protection, and judges still have the final authority on granting orders. Some aspects of the process, including renewals, modifications, and terminations, still require in-person filing.
The demand for protection orders has increased dramatically in recent years, with King County reporting a 26% jump from 2022 to 2023, largely attributed to Washington state law changes that simplified the petition process. While domestic assault incidents declined by 11% from 2019 to 2023 according to a Council on Criminal Justice survey, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported a concerning spike in intimate partner violence between 2021 and 2022. Experts suggest pandemic-related factors like isolation and financial stress may have contributed to this increase, highlighting the critical timing of the portal’s implementation.
The experience of Melissa Hutchins illustrates the real-world impact of protection orders. After being harassed by a cyberstalker who threatened violence and eventually received a nine-year sentence, Hutchins went on to found Certifi AI, a Seattle startup focused on protecting digital identity. She strongly endorses the availability of both in-person and online support options. “When people are in these positions of needing to file for a protection order, most are operating in an extreme state of fear, urgently seeking answers and support from someone that can help walk through the process with them,” Hutchins explained. She added, “It’s very encouraging to see the development of this portal, making it easier for individuals to access the legal protections they need.”
According to Prosecutor Manion, the push to move protection order services online wasn’t primarily about cost savings but rather about meeting increasing demand more effectively. “We are able to serve more people,” she noted, explaining that the paper-based, in-person system simply couldn’t accommodate the current volume of petitioners. “If we had only in person, everything by paper, I don’t think that we have enough hours to serve 17 petitioners a day. So there would be some parts of our community who feel afraid, know they need help, and just don’t get it.” The Protection Order Portal represents a thoughtful application of technology to address a critical safety need, making protection more accessible while maintaining the necessary legal standards. By removing barriers to seeking help, King County has created a system that offers better protection for those facing threats and harassment, potentially preventing violence before it occurs.
