Senate Bill No. 259
(By Senator Whitlow)
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[Introduced February 3, 1995; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirteen-a, relating to authorizing police officers to enter
private lands to investigate automobile accidents or other
disturbances.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirteen-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 14. MISCELLANEOUS RULES.
§17C-14-13a. Police officers authorized to conduct
investig
ations on
private
property.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
nothing may prohibit any duly authorized municipal police
officers, county deputy sheriffs or members of the department of
public safety from entering upon private lands in order to
investigate a motor vehicle accident or other disturbance that
involves injury to a person, violence or the threat of violence
or the commission of a crime.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow police officers
to enter private lands in order to investigate automobile
accidents or other disturbances.
Section thirteen-a is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.