Edward Furlong, the 35-year-old actor most famous for playing the role of John Connor in Terminator 2, was just recently sentenced to six months in jail in California for violating an order of protection.
He joins dozens of celebrities who have been charged or convicted of domestic violence over the years across the United States.
An order of protection is a court order created to restrain the actions of someone who threatens you with harm. Celebrities often seek orders of protection against harassing and threatening fans. But most commonly, orders of protection are issued in a family law context at the end of a relationship.
Generally, you can petition the courts to get an order of protection against:
The order of protection can compel the unwanted person, for example, to stay a certain distance away from you and/or your children, cease contact with you, move out of your house, not have a gun or other weapon, and refrain from threatening behaviors. If the subject of an order of protection violates the order, the offender can be arrested and sent to jail.
If you are in an imminently dangerous situation, call 911. Then contact a domestic violence lawyer in our office as soon as possible to help get you an order of protection to remove the threat of violence to you and your children.