The order was vacated in April 2022 after Boyle’s criminal case from 2021, in which he was arrested for violating the couple’s PFA at the time, was expunged.

Boyle’s attorney, Andrew Montroy, said the flawed warrant and media coverage surrounding it, “in the final days before election day has caused tremendous professional damage to my client.”

Monday’s developments raised questions as to why law enforcement did not seek clarity on the validity of the PFA before charges were even filed.

It was not clear whether the detective or prosecutors assigned to the case, despite having a physical copy of what they believed to be a valid order, checked the online system or with court administrators to confirm it was still active before issuing a warrant for Boyle’s arrest.

Bethel said he did not know whether the detective did that in this case, and said the matter is now under internal investigation.

Generally, he said, detectives are expected to verify PFAs, but “he or she is also expected to move beyond that” and “not just rely on a sole source” that an order may no longer be active.

Krasner said receiving confirmation that the PFA was no longer active took time, and that his office did not receive it until Monday morning.

No politics were involved the decision to file or withdraw charges, Krasner said, noting that he sought to correct the record as soon as the status of the PFA was confirmed Monday.

“While I see no bad faith on the part of the police department or on the part of our office, there may be some lessons to be learned here,” Krasner said. He did not specify what those lessons are, or what “checks and balances” may be added to the process for the future, saying that he was “under legal restrictions.”

Schimmel said Monday that she and her client were disappointed but they continue to cooperate with police to get Boyle the help he needs.

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