Senate Bill No. 57

(By Senator Bailey)

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[Introduced January 9, 2002; referred to the Committee

on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact sections one-b and nineteen, article six, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, all relating to crimes; clarifying that it is a crime to disturb the peace in any office or office building of the state of West Virginia, in the state capitol complex or on any other property owned or controlled by the state of West Virginia; making it a crime to bring anything on the state capitol complex grounds that can be converted into a weapon; making it a crime to affix or attach any signs or paraphernalia on state property; making it a crime to block or obstruct any public access, stair or elevator; and setting forth criminal penalties.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections one-b and nineteen, article six, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
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 lawful capacity, is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.
(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.
§61-6-19. Willful disruption of governmental processes.

If any person wilfully willfully interrupt or molest the orderly and peaceful process of any department, division, agency or branch of state government or of its political subdivisions, he or she shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned in the county or regional jail not more than six months, or both fined and imprisoned: Provided, That any assembly in a peaceable, lawful and orderly manner for a redress of grievances shall not be a violation of this section.
It is unlawful for any person to bring upon the state capitol complex any implement that can be readily converted into a weapon that can be used for stabbing or beating, regardless of the original purpose of the implement: Provided, That nothing contained herein may be construed to prohibit canes, crutches and the like which are actually needed and used to assist in ambulation or pens, pencils and usual tools or implements used in the business of government: Provided, however, That it is unlawful for any person to use as, or convert, any tool or implement into a weapon of any kind or nature.
It is unlawful for any person to post, affix, attach, hang or display upon any trees, wall, floor, stairs, monuments or poles which are owned or controlled by the state of West Virginia any paraphernalia, signs, signage, notes, notices or any other items, however attached, affixed or displayed.
It is unlawful for any person or persons to block or otherwise obstruct any public access, stair or elevator.
Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned in the county or regional jail not more than six months, or both fined and imprisoned.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify that it is a crime to disturb the peace in any office or office building of the state of West Virginia, or in the state capitol complex, or on any other property owned or controlled by the state of West Virginia. The bill also makes it a crime to bring any thing on the state capitol complex grounds that can be converted into a weapon; making it a crime to affix or attach any signs or paraphernalia on state property; making it a crime to block or obstruct any public access, stair or elevator; and setting forth criminal penalties.

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