Senate Bill No. 477
(By Senator Love)
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[Introduced March 24, 1997; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend article five, chapter fifty-seven of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
thirteen, relating to evidence and witnesses; and providing
that police reports regarding confidential informants are to
be kept confidential and are not admissible in evidence.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article five, chapter fifty-seven 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, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
§57-5-13. Police reports regarding confidential informant's
criminal record confidential and not admissible in any court proceeding.
Records of any law-enforcement agency relating to the
criminal act or alleged criminal acts, or any other conduct of a
person who is a confidential informant in any criminal
investigation or prosecution, are confidential and are not
admissible in any court proceeding. These records shall remain
confidential during the pendency of a criminal investigation or
trial of a criminal case and its conclusion.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make police records
relating to criminal activities of a confidential informant
confidential and not admissible in any court proceeding during
the pendency of the criminal investigation or criminal trial of
another person.
§57-5-13 is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring
have been omitted.