What is the purpose of temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions?

• A. To preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm while the case proceeds
• B. To decide the merits quickly
• C. To enforce judgments
• D. To vacate judgments

Answer: (A)

Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions are about stopping harm before the case is decided. They’re emergency tools that preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable damage so that the court can consider the merits without irreversible changes occurring in the meantime. A TRO can be issued quickly, sometimes without notice, to address an urgent risk and lasts only a short time until a hearing for a preliminary injunction can take place. A preliminary injunction provides ongoing relief pending trial, but it’s granted after notice and a hearing, and the court weighs factors such as irreparable harm, the likelihood of the movant’s success on the merits, the balance of hardships, and the public interest. In short, these remedies are about preventing harm and keeping things as they are while the case proceeds, not about resolving who wins or enforcing judgments or vacating them.