WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2022 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 4734

By Delegates Haynes, Pinson, Ferrell, Mallow, Holstein, Honaker, Longanacre, Toney, Lovejoy, Boggs, and Rowan

[Introduced February 15, 2022; Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §61-1-10, relating to creating the misdemeanor criminal offense of filing a false complaint against a law-enforcement official; and providing a penalty.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1. CRIMES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

§61-1-10.  Filing false complaint against law-enforcement official; penalty.

Any person who knowingly files a false complaint against a law-enforcement officer or law- enforcement official that results in an investigation, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or confined in jail for not more than six months, or both fined and confined.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a misdemeanor criminal offense of filing a false complaint against a law-enforcement official.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.