Introduced Version
House Bill 4169 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 4169
(By Delegate Yost)
[Introduced
January 29, 2004
; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §50-5-7 of the code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to limiting the right to a jury
trial in misdemeanor criminal cases in magistrate court when
the misdemeanor is also charged with a felony offense; and
providing for a preliminary hearing on both the misdemeanor
and felony offenses.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §50-5-7 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. TRIALS, HEARINGS AND APPEALS.
§50-5-7. Right to trial in criminal cases.
Every defendant charged in a magistrate court in a criminal
proceeding which is within the jurisdiction of the court shall have
the right to a trial on the merits in the magistrate court unless
the misdemeanor offense is also charged with a felony offense and
both offenses arise out of the same act or transaction, or arise
out of two or more acts or transactions connected together or constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. In magistrate
court, where a misdemeanor is also charged with a felony offense,
the defendant shall receive a preliminary hearing on the
misdemeanor charge at the same time as the felony offense, unless
the misdemeanor charge is dismissed in the magistrate court pending
presentation to the grand jury with the felony offense.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow for the
continuation of misdemeanor prosecutions in cases where a defendant
is charged by complaint with both a felony and misdemeanor.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.