Shelly M. Phipps v. State of Indiana

Goff, Justice.

Protective orders have sweeping reach in our state. By their terms, these orders endeavor to establish a hedge of protection around one person by restricting the actions or words of another. Thousands of faceless Hoosiers are currently subject to or shielded by protective orders like the one at the center of this case. Because violating a protective order amounts to a criminal act, the State must prove a mens rea element-that the person intended to violate the order. This case presents the question of what constitutes sufficient evidence to prove a person intentionally or…