reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-4. Unlawful Rewarding for Past Behavior

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit, accept or agree to accept, directly or indirectly, a pecuniary benefit for:
(1) Having engaged in official action as a public servant; or
(2) Having violated a legal duty as a public servant.
(b) It shall also be unlawful for any person to offer, confer or agree to confer, directly or indirectly, a pecuniary benefit, the receipt of which is prohibited by subsection (a) of this section.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-5. Threats in Official and Political Matters

It shall be unlawful for any person to threaten harm to another with intent to influence the official action of a public servant in a pending or prospective administrative or judicial proceeding before such public servant, or with intent to influence a public servant or party official to violate his legal duty as a public servant or party official.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-7. Trading in Public Office

It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit, accept or agree to accept, or agree that any political party or political party committee or other person shall accept, or offer, confer or agree to confer, any pecuniary benefit as consideration for approval or disapproval by a public servant or party official of a person for appointment, employment, advancement or retention as a public servant or for nomination as a candidate for public office.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-8. Certain Matters Not to Constitute Defense

It shall be no defense to any prosecution under the provisions of section three or section five of this article that a person whom the actor sought to influence or otherwise affect or deal with was not qualified to act in the desired way, whether because he was a candidate for office, or had not yet assumed office or his position of employment, or lacked authority or jurisdiction, or the matter was not yet before him or for any other reason was not qualified to act in the desired way.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-9. Penalties; Disqualification to Hold Office; Statute of Limitations for Misdemeanor Offenses

(a) Any person who violates any of the provisions of section three of this article shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished, if an individual, by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years, and, if a corporation, by a fine of not exceeding $50,000. Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of section three of this article shall also be forever disqualified from holding any office or position of honor, trust or profit of government in this state.
(b) Any person who violates any of the provisions of section four of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon, conviction thereof, shall be punished by confinement in jail not less than three months nor more than one year or by a fine of not exceeding $5,000 or, in the discretion of the court, by both such confinement and fine.
(c) Any person who violates any of the provisions of section five of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by confinement in jail not less than three months nor more than one year or by a fine of not exceeding $5,000 or, in the discretion of the court, by both such confinement and fine, unless such person threatened to commit a crime or made a threat with the purpose to influence an administrative or judicial proceeding, in which event, he shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a felony and, shall be punished as specified in subsection (a) of this section for a violation of any of the provisions of section three of this article.
(d) Any person who violates any of the provisions of section six or section seven of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by confinement in jail not less than three months nor more than one year or by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 or, in the discretion of the court, by both such confinement and fine.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section nine, article eleven of this chapter or any other provision of law to the contrary, a prosecution for a misdemeanor under the provisions of this article shall be commenced within six years after the offense was committed.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 5A. Bribery and Corrupt Practices › §61-5A-10. Construction; Certain Other Code Provisions Not Affected; Article Not to Affect Offenses Committed Under Other Statutory Provisions

Under no circumstances whatever shall this article be construed as superseding or in any way affecting the provisions of (1) chapter three of this code dealing with bribery and other corrupt practices and criminal offenses in connection with elections, election officials, voters or voting in elections; (2) sections seventeen and eighteen, article two, chapter fifteen of this code; (3) section nine, article two-a, chapter eighteen of this code; and (4) sections fifteen and twenty-two, article ten of this chapter sixty-one; and the specific types of bribery, corrupt practices and criminal offenses covered by the statutory provisions referred to in this section shall continue to be governed by such statutory provisions and not by this article.
The provisions of this article shall govern and control as to any offenses committed in violation thereof on and after the effective date of this article, and the provisions of sections four, five, six and seven, article five of this chapter, shall govern and control as to any offenses committed in violation of said sections four, five, six and seven prior to the effective date of this article five-a, with like effect as to such prior offenses as if this article five-a had not been enacted.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-1. Suppression of Riots and Unlawful Assemblages

All members of the West Virginia State Police, the Division of Protective Services, all sheriffs within their respective counties and all mayors within their respective jurisdiction, may suppress riots, routs and unlawful assemblages. It shall be the duty of each of them to go among, or as near as may be with safety, to persons riotously, tumultuously, or unlawfully assembled, and in the name of the law command them to disperse; and if they shall not thereupon immediately and peaceably disperse, such member of the West Virginia State Police, or of the Division of Protective Services, sheriff or mayor giving the command, and any other present, shall command the assistance of all persons present, and of all or any part of other law-enforcement personnel available to him or her, as need be, in arresting and securing those so assembled. If any person present, on being required to give his or her assistance, depart, or fail to obey, he or she shall be deemed a rioter.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-1a. Control of Riots and Unlawful Assemblages

Members of the West Virginia State Police, the Division of Protective Services, sheriffs and mayors, and those acting under their order, may, when engaged in suppressing a riot, rout or unlawful assemblage, cordon off any area or areas threatened by such riot, rout or unlawful assemblage, and may take all actions which are necessary and reasonable under the emergency to restore law and order, and such actions may be, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Prohibit the sale, offering for sale, dispensing, furnishing, or transportation of firearms or other dangerous weapons, ammunition, dynamite, or other dangerous explosives in, to or from such areas.
(b) Prohibit the sale, offering for sale, dispensing, furnishing, or consumption of alcoholic beverages or nonintoxicating beer in a public place in such areas, and prohibit the transportation of alcoholic beverages or nonintoxicating beer in, to, or from such areas.
(c) Impose curfews, as required, to control movement of persons in, to, and from such areas.
(d) Enter a private dwelling or other building or other private place in such areas when in fresh pursuit of a rioter, when in search of a sniper who has fired upon a person from such a dwelling or other building or place or when in search of firearms, other dangerous weapons, ammunition, dynamite, or other dangerous explosives when there is reason to believe that such items are stored in the said dwelling, building, or place and that they will be removed therefrom before a search warrant could be obtained.
No person shall willfully fail to obey a lawful order of any mayor, sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal police officer, member of the West Virginia State Police, or the Division of Protective Services, or other officer, given pursuant to this section.
Any person who violates an order given pursuant to the authority of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500, or imprisoned in the county jail not more than six months, or both fined and imprisoned.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-1b. Disorderly Conduct; Penalty

(a) Any person who, in a public place, any office or office building of the State of West Virginia, or in the State Capitol complex, or on any other property owned, leased, occupied or controlled by the State of West Virginia, a mobile home park, a public parking area, a common area of an apartment building or dormitory, or a common area of a privately owned commercial shopping center, mall or other group of commercial retail establishments, disturbs the peace of others by violent, profane, indecent or boisterous conduct or language or by the making of unreasonably loud noise that is intended to cause annoyance or alarm to another person, and who persists in such conduct after being requested to desist by a law-enforcement officer acting in his or her lawful capacity, is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, may be confined in jail for twenty-four hours or fined not more than $100: Provided, That nothing in this subsection should be construed as a deterrence to the lawful and orderly public right to demonstrate in support or protest of public policy issues.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Mobile home park” means a privately owned residential housing area or subdivision wherein the dwelling units are comprised mainly of mobile homes and wherein the occupants of such dwelling units share common elements for purposes of ingress and egress, parking, recreation and other like residential purposes.
(2) “Mobile home” means a moveable or portable unit, designed and constructed to be towed on its own chassis (comprised of frame and wheels) and designed to be connected to utilities for year-round occupancy. The term includes: (A) Units containing parts that may be folded, collapsed or telescoped when being towed and that may be expanded to provide additional cubic capacity; and (B) units composed of two or more separately towable components designed to be joined into one integral unit capable of being separated again into the components for repeated towing.
(3) “Public parking area” means an area, whether publicly or privately owned or maintained, open to the use of the public for parking motor vehicles.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-2. Commitment and Recognizance of Rioters

If any person be arrested for a riot, rout or unlawful assemblage, he shall be taken without unreasonable delay before a justice of the county in which the arrest is made who shall commit him to jail, unless he shall enter into a recognizance, with sufficient security, to appear before the court having jurisdiction of the offense, at its next term, to answer therefor, and in the meantime to be of good behavior and to keep the peace.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-3. Failure of Member of West Virginia State Police Officer, Officer of the Division of Protective Services, Mayor, or Sheriff to Exercise Powers at Riots and Unlawful Assemblages; Penalty

If any member of the West Virginia State Police, the Division of Protective Services, sheriff, or mayor have notice of a riotous, tumultuous, or unlawful assemblage in his or her respective jurisdiction as provided in section one of this article, and fail to proceed immediately to the place of such assemblage, or as near as he or she may safely go, or fail to exercise his or her authority for suppressing it and arresting the offenders, he or she shall be fined not to exceed $100.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-4. Summoning of Persons to Aid in Suppressing Riots and Unlawful Assemblages

If any person engaged in such assemblage, being commanded, as hereinbefore provided, to disperse or to peaceably leave the scene of such assemblage, fail to do so without delay, any such member of the West Virginia State Police, the Division of Protective Services, sheriff or mayor may require the aid of a sufficient number of persons, in arms or otherwise, and proceed, in such manner as he or she may deem expedient, to disperse and suppress such assemblage, and arrest and secure those engaged in it.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-5. Death of Person in Suppression of Riots and Unlawful Assemblages

If, by any means taken under the authority of this article to disperse any such assemblage or arrest those engaged in it, any person present, as spectator or otherwise, be killed or wounded, and neither malice, nor premeditation be present, any member of the West Virginia State Police, the Division of Protective Services, sheriff, or mayor exercising such authority, and everyone acting under his or her order, shall be held guiltless.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-6. Destruction of Building by Rioters; Penalty Therefor and for Rioting Without Such Injury

If any person engaged in a riot, rout or unlawful assemblage, pull down or destroy, in whole or in part, any dwelling house, courthouse, jail, prison, asylum, hospital, school or college building, or any public building of any character, or assist therein, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years; and though no such building be injured, every rioter, and every person unlawfully or tumultuously assembled, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than one year and fined not exceeding $500.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-7. Conspiracy to Inflict Injury to Persons or Property; Infliction of Injury or Death in Pursuance Thereof; Penalties

If two or more persons under the name of “Red Men,” “Regulators,” “Vigilance Committee,” or any other name or without a name, combine or conspire together for the purpose of inflicting any punishment or bodily injury upon any other person or persons, or for the purpose of destroying, injuring, defacing, or taking and carrying away any property, real or personal, not their own, every such person, whether he has done any act in pursuance of such combination or conspiracy or not, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500, and may, in the discretion of the court, be confined in jail not less than one nor more than twelve months.
If any person, in pursuance of such combination or conspiracy, shall inflict any punishment or bodily injury upon another person, or shall destroy, injure, deface, or take and carry away, any property, real or personal, not his own, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years; and if the death of any person shall result from the commission of such offense, every person engaged in the commission thereof shall be guilty of murder of the first degree, and, upon conviction thereof, punished as in other cases of murder of the first degree. If, upon the trial of an indictment hereunder, it be proved that two or more persons, the defendant being one, were present, aiding and abetting in the commission of the offense charged therein, it shall be presumed that such offense was committed in pursuance of such combination or conspiracy, in the absence of satisfactory proof to the contrary. And all persons who were present, aiding and abetting, at the commission of any offense mentioned herein, shall be deemed conspirators within the meaning hereof.
Persons offending against any of the provisions of this section may be indicted therefor, either jointly or separately.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-8. Release or Rescue of Person in Custody Charged or Convicted Under §61-6-7; Penalty

If any person, by force, or other unlawful means, shall release or rescue, or attempt to release or rescue, a person in prison or other custody, charged with, or convicted of an offense under the provisions of the preceding section of this article, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-9. Intimidation of Witness for State in Conspiracy Prosecutions; Penalties

If any person shall, by threats, menaces, or otherwise, intimidate, or attempt to intimidate, a witness for the state in any prosecution under the provisions of sections seven and eight of this article, for the purpose of preventing the attendance of such witness at the trial of such case, or shall in any way or manner prevent, or attempt to prevent, the attendance of any such witness at such trial, he shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years, or he may, in the discretion of the court, be confined in jail not less than three nor more than twelve months, and fined not less than $100 nor more than $5,000.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-10. Reward for Arrest in Conspiracy Cases; Employment of Special Policemen and Detectives

The Governor is hereby authorized, whenever in his opinion it is proper to do so, to offer rewards, and employ special policemen and detectives, and to employ any and all means in his power, including the employment of any portion of the military forces of the state, to secure the apprehension of any and all persons belonging to any such unlawful combination or who shall be charged with the commission of any offense mentioned in the seventh, eighth and ninth sections of this article.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-13. Disturbance of Religious Worship; Penalty

If any person wilfully interrupt, molest or disturb any assembly of people met for the worship of God, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than six months and fined not less than $25 nor more than $100. Any officer may put such offender under restraint during religious worship, and the court trying the case may require bond or recognizance of him for not more than one year to be of good behavior.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-14. Disturbance of Schools, Societies, and Other Assemblies; Penalty

If any person wilfully interrupt, molest or disturb any free school, Sunday school, or other school, a school exhibition, or any literary society, or any other society or meeting formed or convened for intellectual, social or moral improvement, or for improvement in music, either vocal or instrumental, or for any moral or social amusement, or any other society organized or carried on under or in pursuance of the laws of this state, or any fourth of July celebration, Christmas tree, or church festival, or any other festival, or any society, lawfully carried on, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $50, and, at the discretion of the court, be confined in jail not more than thirty days in addition to such fine.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-14a. Loitering on School Property; Penalty; Exceptions

No person, not a student in regular attendance, shall loiter in or about any school, school building or school grounds in violation of any posted rules or regulations governing the use of any such school without written permission from the principal.
Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction for the first offense thereof, shall be fined not more than $100, or imprisoned in the county jail not more than thirty days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, any such person shall be fined not more than $500, or imprisoned in the county jail not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-17. False Reports Concerning Bombs or Other Explosive Devices; Penalties

(a) Any person who imparts or conveys or causes to be imparted or conveyed any false information, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe the information to be false, concerning the presence of any bomb or other explosive device in, at, on, near, under or against any dwelling house, structure, improvement, building, bridge, motor vehicle, vessel, boat, railroad car, airplane or other place or concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made or to be made to so place or explode any bomb or other explosive device is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $2,000 or confined in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than three years, or both.
(b) If any person violates any provision of this section and the violation directly causes economic harm as defined in subsection (d) of this section, in addition to any other penalty, the circuit court may order the offender to pay the victim or victims restitution, in accordance with the provisions of article eleven-a of this chapter, for economic loss caused by the violation in an amount not to exceed the economic harm suffered. Nothing in this section may be construed to limit the circuit court's authority to order restitution pursuant to other provisions of this code.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) of this section whose violation of the subsection results in another suffering serious bodily injury is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than five years or fined not more than $10,000, or both. Each injury resulting from a violation of subsection (a) of this section constitutes a separate offense.
(d) As used in this section, "economic harm" means all direct, incidental and consequential pecuniary harm suffered by a victim as a result of criminal conduct. Economic harm includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) All wages, salaries or other compensation lost as a result of the criminal conduct;
(2) The cost of all wages, salaries or other compensation paid to employees for time those employees are prevented from working as a result of the criminal conduct;
(3) The cost of all wages, salaries or other compensation paid to employees for time those employees spent in reacting to the results of the criminal conduct; or
(4) The overhead costs incurred for the time that a business is shut down as a result of the criminal conduct.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-18. Camping Upon Governmental Grounds or Lawns; Penalties; Public Nuisance

If any person shall go upon the ground or lawn surrounding or adjacent to (1) the state Capitol building or any state office building which is a part of the state Capitol complex, or (2) a county courthouse, or (3) any municipal office building where the principal business of the municipality is conducted, which ground or lawn is owned by or leased to the State of West Virginia, the county, or such municipality, as the case may be, and place, erect or construct or attempt to place, erect or construct for himself or others shelter accommodations thereon or use any such erected shelter accommodations, without the written permission first had and obtained of the Governor, the county court, or the governing body of the municipality, as the case may be, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100, or by imprisonment in jail for not more than thirty days, or in the discretion of the court, by both such fine and imprisonment, and any such shelter accommodations are hereby constituted a public nuisance which may be abated at the expense of any such person. Each day upon which any violation of the provisions of this section continues shall constitute a separate offense.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-19. Willful Disruption of Governmental Processes; Offenses Occurring at State Capitol Complex; Penalties

(a) If any person willfully interrupts or molests the orderly and peaceful process of any department, division, agency, or branch of state government or of its political subdivisions, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $100, or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined:
Provided
, That any assembly in a peaceable, lawful, and orderly manner for a redress of grievances is not a violation of this section.
(b) (1) It is unlawful for any person to bring upon the State Capitol Complex any deadly weapon as defined in 61-7-2 of this code:
Provided
, That a person who may lawfully possess a firearm may keep a firearm in his or her motor vehicle upon the State Capitol Complex if the vehicle is locked and the weapon is out of normal view:
Provided, however
, That a person may not carry upon the State Capitol Complex, a cannister of pepper spray as defined in 61-7-2 of this code that exceeds one ounce. It is unlawful for any person to willfully deface any trees, wall, floor, stairs, ceiling, column, statue, monument, structure, surface, artwork, or adornment in the State Capitol Complex. It is unlawful for any person or persons to willfully block or otherwise willfully obstruct any public access, stair, or elevator in the State Capitol Complex after being asked by a law-enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity to desist:
Provided further,
That in order to preserve the constitutional right of the people to assemble, it is not willful blocking or willful obstruction for persons gathered in a group or crowd if the persons move to the side or part to allow other persons to pass by the group or crowd to gain ingress or egress:
And provided further
, That this subsection does not apply to a law-enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity.
(2) Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100, or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-20. Falsely Reporting an Emergency Incident

A person is guilty of reporting a false emergency incident when knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated is false or baseless, he
(1) Initiates or circulates a false report or warning of or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, crime, catastrophe, accident, illness or other emergency under circumstances in which it is likely that public alarm or inconvenience will result or that firefighting apparatus, ambulance apparatus, one or more rescue vehicles or other emergency apparatus might be summoned; or
(2) Reports, by word or action, to any official or quasi-official agency or organization having the function of dealing with emergencies involving danger to life or property, an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire, explosion, crime, catastrophe, accident, illness or other emergency in which it is likely that public alarm or inconvenience will result or that firefighting apparatus, ambulance apparatus, one or more rescue vehicles or other emergency apparatus might be summoned, which did not occur, does not in fact exist; or
(3) Reports to a law-enforcement officer or agency the alleged occurrence of any offense or incident which did not in fact occur or an allegedly impending occurrence of an offense or incident which is not in fact about to occur or false information relating to an actual offense or incident or to the alleged implication of some person therein; or
(4) Without just cause, calls or summons by telephone, fire alarm system or otherwise, any firefighting apparatus, ambulance apparatus, rescue vehicles or other emergency vehicles.
Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500 or confined in the county jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-21. Prohibiting Violations of an Individual's Civil Rights; Penalties

(a) All persons within the boundaries of the State of West Virginia have the right to be free from any violence, or intimidation by threat of violence, committed against their persons or property because of their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex.
(b) If any person does by force or threat of force, willfully injure, intimidate or interfere with, or attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere with, or oppress or threaten any other person in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or laws of the State of West Virginia or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, because of such other person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex, he or she shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(c) If any person conspires with another person or persons to willfully injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate or interfere with any citizen because of such other person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him or her by the Constitution or laws of the State of West Virginia or by the Constitution or laws of the United States, and in willfull furtherance thereof to assemble with one or more persons for the purpose of teaching any technique or means capable of causing property damage, bodily injury or death when such person or persons intend to employ such techniques or means to violate this section, each such person shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(d) The fact that a person committed a felony or misdemeanor, or attempted to commit a felony, because of the victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation or sex, shall be considered a circumstance in aggravation of any crime in imposing sentence.
(e) Nothing contained in this section makes unlawful the teaching of any technique in self-defense.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to make it unlawful nor to prohibit nor, in any manner, to impede or to interfere with any person in conducting labor union or labor union organizing activities.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-22. Wearing Masks, Hoods or Face Coverings

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person, whether in a motor vehicle or otherwise, while wearing any mask, hood or device whereby any portion of the face is so covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer, may:
(1) Come into or appear upon any walk, alley, street, road, highway or other thoroughfare dedicated to public use;
(2) Come into or appear in any trading area, concourse, waiting room, lobby or foyer open to, used by or frequented by the general public;
(3) Come into or appear upon or within any of the grounds or buildings owned, leased, maintained or operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof;
(4) Ask, request, or demand entrance or admission to the premises, enclosure, dwelling or place of business of any other person within this state; or
(5) Attend or participate in any meeting upon private property of another unless written permission for such meeting has first been obtained from the owner or occupant thereof.
(b) The provisions of this section do not apply to any person:
(1) Under sixteen years of age;
(2) Wearing a traditional holiday costume;
(3) Engaged in a trade or employment where a mask, hood or device is worn for the purpose of ensuring the physical safety of the wearer;
(4) Using a mask, hood or device in theatrical productions, including use in mardi gras celebrations or similar masquerade balls;
(5) Wearing a mask, hood or device prescribed for civil defense drills, exercises or emergencies; or
(6) Wearing a mask, hood or device for the sole purpose of protection from the elements or while participating in a winter sport.
(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned in the county jail not more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 6. Crimes Against the Peace › §61-6-25. Falsely Reporting Child Abuse

(a) Any person who knowingly and intentionally reports or causes to be reported to a law-enforcement officer, child protective service worker, or judicial officer that another has committed child sexual abuse, child abuse, or neglect as those terms are defined in §49-1-201 of this code who when doing so knows or has reason to know the accusation is false and who does it with the intent to influence a child custody decision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $1,000, sentenced to not more than sixty hours of court-approved community service, or both.
(b) In addition to any other sanctions imposed by the provisions of this section, any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be required to attend and complete a court-approved parenting class.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-1. Legislative Findings

The Legislature finds that the overwhelming support of the citizens of West Virginia for article three, section twenty-two of the Constitution of this state, commonly known as the “Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment”, combined with the obligation of the state to reasonably regulate the right of persons to keep and bear arms for self-defense requires the reenactment of this article.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-3. Carrying a Deadly Weapon Without Provisional License or Other Authorization by Persons Under Twenty-One Years of Age; Penalties

(a) Any person under twenty-one years of age and not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under section seven of this article who carries a concealed deadly weapon, without a state license or other lawful authorization established under the provisions of this code, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 and may be imprisoned in jail for not more than twelve months for the first offense; but upon conviction of a second or subsequent offense, he or she is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in t a state correctional facility not less than one nor more than five years and fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000.
(b) The prosecuting attorney in all cases shall ascertain whether or not the charge made by the grand jury is a first offense or is a second or subsequent offense and, if it is a second or subsequent offense, it shall be so stated in the indictment returned, and the prosecuting attorney shall introduce the record evidence before the trial court of such second or subsequent offense and may not be permitted to use discretion in introducing evidence to prove the same on the trial.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-5. Revocation of License

A license to carry a deadly weapon shall be deemed revoked at such time as the person licensed becomes unable to meet the criteria for initial licensure set forth in section four of this article. Any person licensed under the provisions of this article shall immediately surrender his or her license to the issuing sheriff upon becoming ineligible for continued licensure.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-6. Exceptions as to Prohibitions Against Carrying Concealed Handguns for Persons at Least Eighteen Years of Age and Fewer Than Twenty-One Years of Age; Exemptions From Licensing Fees

(a) The provisions in section three of this article do not apply to any person at least eighteen years of age and fewer than twenty-one years of age who is:
(1) Carrying a deadly weapon upon his or her own premises;
(2) Carrying a firearm, unloaded, from the place of purchase to his or her home, residence or place of business or to a place of repair and back to his or her home, residence or place of business; or
(3) Possessing a firearm while hunting in a lawful manner or while traveling from his or her home, residence or place of business to a hunting site and returning to his or her home, residence or place of business;
(4) A member of a properly organized target-shooting club authorized by law to obtain firearms by purchase or requisition from this state or from the United States for the purpose of target practice from carrying any pistol, as defined in this article, unloaded, from his or her home, residence or place of business to a place of target practice and from any place of target practice back to his or her home, residence or place of business, for using any such weapon at a place of target practice in training and improving his or her skill in the use of the weapons;
(5) A law-enforcement officer or law-enforcement official or chief executive as defined in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code;
(6) An employee of the West Virginia Division of Corrections duly appointed pursuant to section eleven-c, article one, chapter twenty-five of this code while the employee is on duty;
(7) A member of the United States armed forces, reserve or National Guard;
(8) A resident of another state who holds a valid permit or license to possess or carry a handgun issued by a state or a political subdivision subject to the provisions and limitations set forth in section six-a of this article;
(9) A federal law-enforcement officer or federal police officer authorized to carry a weapon in the performance of the officer's duty; and
(10) A parole officer appointed pursuant to section fourteen, article twelve, chapter sixty-two of this code in the performance of his or her duties.
(b) The following judicial officers and prosecutors and staff are exempt from paying any application fees or licensure fees required under this article. However, they shall make application and satisfy all licensure and handgun safety and training requirements to obtain a license as set forth in section four of this article:
(1) Any justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia;
(2) Any circuit judge;
(3) Any retired justice or retired circuit judge designated senior status by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia;
(4) Any family court judge;
(5) Any magistrate;
(6) Any prosecuting attorney;
(7) Any assistant prosecuting attorney; or
(8) Any duly appointed investigator employed by a prosecuting attorney.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-6a. Reciprocity and Recognition; Out-of-State Concealed Handgun Permits

(a) A valid out-of-state permit or license to possess or carry a handgun is valid in this state for the carrying of a concealed handgun, if the following conditions are met:
(1) The permit or license holder is twenty-one years of age or older;
(2) The permit or license is in his or her immediate possession;
(3) The permit or license holder is not a resident of the State of West Virginia; and
(4) The Attorney General has been notified by the Governor of the other state that the other state allows residents of West Virginia who are licensed in West Virginia to carry a concealed handgun to carry a concealed handgun in that state or the Attorney General has entered into a written reciprocity agreement with the appropriate official of the other state whereby the state agrees to honor West Virginia concealed handgun licenses in return for same treatment in this state.
(b) A holder of a valid permit or license from another state who is authorized to carry a concealed handgun in this state pursuant to provisions of this section is subject to the same laws and restrictions with respect to carrying a concealed handgun as a resident of West Virginia who is so permitted and must carry the concealed handgun in compliance with the laws of this state.
(c) A license or permit from another state is not valid in this state if the holder is or becomes prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
(d) The West Virginia Attorney General shall seek to obtain recognition of West Virginia concealed handgun licenses and enter into and execute reciprocity agreements on behalf of the State of West Virginia with states for the recognition of concealed handgun permits issued pursuant to this article.
(e) The West Virginia State Police shall maintain a registry of states with which the State of West Virginia has entered into reciprocity agreements or which recognize West Virginia concealed handgun licenses on the criminal information network and make the registry available to law-enforcement officers for investigative purposes.
(f) Every twelve months after the effective date of this section, the West Virginia Attorney General shall make written inquiry of the concealed handgun licensing or permitting authorities in each other state as to: (i) Whether a West Virginia resident may carry a concealed handgun in their state based upon having a valid West Virginia concealed handgun permit; and (ii) whether a West Virginia resident may carry a concealed handgun in that state based upon having a valid West Virginia concealed handgun permit, pursuant to the laws of that state or by the execution of a valid reciprocity agreement between the states.
(g) The West Virginia State Police shall make available to the public a list of states which have entered into reciprocity agreements with the State of West Virginia or that allow residents of West Virginia who are licensed in West Virginia to carry a concealed handgun to carry a concealed handgun in that state.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-8. Possession of Deadly Weapons by Minors; Prohibitions

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article to the contrary, a person under the age of 18 years who is not married or otherwise emancipated shall not possess or carry concealed or openly any deadly weapon: Provided, That a minor may possess a firearm upon premises owned by the minor or his or her family or on the premises of another with the permission of his or her parent or guardian and in the case of property other than his or her own or that of his or her family, with the permission of the owner or lessee of the property: Provided, however, That nothing in this section shall prohibit a minor from possessing a firearm while hunting in a lawful manner or while traveling from a place where he or she may lawfully possess a deadly weapon, to a hunting site, and returning to a place where he or she may lawfully possess the weapon.
A violation of this section by a person under the age of 18 years shall subject the child to the jurisdiction of the circuit court under the provisions of §49-4-701 through §49-4-725 of this code, and the minor may be proceeded against in the same manner as if he or she had committed an act which if committed by an adult would be a crime, and may be adjudicated delinquent.
2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 61. Crimes and Their Punishment › Article 7. Dangerous Weapons › §61-7-9. Possession of Machine Guns, Penalties

It shall be unlawful for any person to carry, transport, or have in his possession, any machine gun, submachine gun, or any other fully automatic weapon unless he or she has fully complied with applicable federal statutes and all applicable rules and regulations of the secretary of the treasury of the United States relating to such firearms.
Any person who violates the provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, or shall be confined in the county jail for not less than ninety days, or more than one year, or both.