The bill amends West Virginia Code §50-5-11, which pertains to contempt of court in magistrate court, by increasing the penalties for individuals found guilty of contempt. The new provisions specify that for a first offense, a person may be fined up to $200 and ordered to complete community service, while a second offense can result in a fine of up to $500 and community service. For a third or subsequent offense, the fine increases to $1,000, and the individual may be confined in jail for up to ten days, or face both fines and confinement. Additionally, the magistrate has the discretion to impose an alternative sentence under a different section of the code for repeat offenders.

The bill also includes a change in language to ensure gender neutrality by replacing "his" with "her" in reference to county officers. The overall aim of the legislation is to strengthen the enforcement of court decorum and ensure that contemptuous behavior is met with more significant consequences, thereby enhancing the integrity of judicial proceedings. An appeal process to the circuit court for such convictions remains unchanged.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 50-5-11
Committee Substitute: 50-5-11