Emergency order hearings can lead to a plenary order lasting up to two years, clerk says

A DuPage County clerk summarized the outcomes a judge may enter at an emergency order of protection hearing: the court may grant an emergency order and continue the matter to a plenary hearing; the court may deny the emergency but continue and require notice to the respondent; or the court may deny and dismiss the petition. "After that emergency hearing, 1 of 3 things may happen," the clerk said.

The clerk added a key detail on duration: "A plenary order of protection may last for up to 2 years." The recording emphasized that a continuance to a plenary hearing gives the respondent an opportunity to present a case and, at the plenary, the judge will determine admissibility of evidence and the final outcome.