(By Delegate Stalnaker)
[Introduced January 10, 2003; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]

A BILL to amend article six, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-four, relating to imposing misdemeanor penalties for obstructing a law-enforcement officer or giving false statements to a law-enforcement officer acting in the course of duty.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article six, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-four, to read as follows:

§61-6-24. Obstructing law-enforcement officer or providing false information to a law-enforcement officer; penalties.

A person who knowingly obstructs or impedes a law-enforcement officer acting in the course of duty, or a person who knowingly gives a false statement to a law-enforcement officer acting in the course of duty, 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 ten days, or both fined and imprisoned.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to impose misdemeanor penalties for obstructing a law-enforcement officer or giving false statements to a law-enforcement officer acting in the course of duty.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.