City of Seattle v. May
Annotate this CaseIn 2005, Petitioner Robert May violated a domestic violence protection order that prohibited him from contacting his ex-wife. As a result, Petitioner was convicted under a Seattle ordinance. On appeal, Petitioner contended that the order was invalid and that he received no notice that the "no-contact" provision of the order was a criminal offense. The superior court reversed the municipal court's conviction, but the Court of Appeals reversed the superior court to reinstate the conviction. The Supreme Court in its affirmation of the Court of Appeals concluded: "[Petitioner] made a choice to violate the plain and unambiguous terms of the domestic violence protection order . . . the collateral bar rule precludes [him from challenging] the validity of the domestic violence protection order." The Court found that the protection order itself was notice that he would be prosecuted if he violated its terms.
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