H. B. 4030

         (By Delegates Williams, Shaver and Hunt)

         [Introduced January 12, 2012; referred to the

         Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §50-3-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to prioritizing the payment of fees, costs, bonds, fines or other sums charged or assessed in magistrate courts in civil and criminal matters.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §50-3-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 3. COSTS, FINES AND RECORDS.

§50-3-2a. Payment by credit card or payment plan; suspension of licenses for failure to make payments or appear or respond; restitution; liens.

    (a) A magistrate court may accept credit cards in payment of all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties in accordance with rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Appeals. Any charges made by the credit company shall be paid by the person responsible for paying the cost, fine, forfeiture or penalty.

    (b) Unless otherwise required by law, a magistrate court may collect a portion of any costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties at the time the amount is imposed by the court so long as the court requires the balance to be paid in accordance with a payment plan which specifies: (1) The number of payments to be made; (2) the dates on which the payments are due; and (3) the amounts due for each payment. The written agreement represents the minimum payments and the last date those payments may be made. The obligor or the obligor’s agent may accelerate the payment schedule at any time by paying any additional portion of any costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties.

    (c) (1) If any costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed by the magistrate court in a criminal case are not paid within one hundred eighty days from the date of judgment and the expiration of any stay of execution, the magistrate court clerk or, upon judgment rendered on appeal, the circuit clerk shall notify the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles of the failure to pay: Provided, That in a criminal case in which a nonresident of this state is convicted of a motor vehicle violation defined in section three-a, article three, chapter seventeen-b of this code, the appropriate clerk shall notify the Division of Motor Vehicles of the failure to pay within eighty days from the date of judgment and expiration of any stay of execution. Upon notice, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall suspend any privilege the person defaulting on payment may have to operate a motor vehicle in this state, including any driver's license issued to the person by the Division of Motor Vehicles, until all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties are paid in full. The suspension shall be imposed in accordance with the provisions of section six, article three, chapter seventeen-b of this code: Provided, That any person who has had his or her license to operate a motor vehicle in this state suspended pursuant to this subsection and his or her failure to pay is based upon inability to pay, may, if he or she is employed on a full or part-time basis, petition to the circuit court for an order authorizing him or her to operate a motor vehicle solely for employment purposes. Upon a showing satisfactory to the court of inability to pay, employment and compliance with other applicable motor vehicle laws, the court shall issue an order granting relief.

    (2) In addition to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, if any costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed or ordered by the magistrate court for a hunting violation described in chapter twenty of this code are not paid within one hundred eighty days from the date of judgment and the expiration of any stay of execution, the magistrate court clerk or, upon a judgment rendered on appeal, the circuit clerk shall notify the Director of the Division of Natural Resources of the failure to pay. Upon notice, the Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall suspend any privilege the person failing to appear or otherwise respond may have to hunt in this state, including any hunting license issued to the person by the Division of Natural Resources, until all the costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties are paid in full.

    (3) In addition to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, if any costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed or ordered by the magistrate court for a fishing violation described in chapter twenty of this code are not paid within one hundred eighty days from the date of judgment and the expiration of any stay of execution, the magistrate court clerk or, upon a judgment rendered on appeal, the circuit clerk shall notify the Director of the Division of Natural Resources of the failure to pay. Upon notice, the Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall suspend any privilege the person failing to appear or otherwise respond may have to fish in this state, including any fishing license issued to the person by the Division of Natural Resources, until all the costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties are paid in full.

    (d) (1) If a person charged with any criminal violation of this code fails to appear or otherwise respond in court, the magistrate court shall notify the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles thereof within fifteen days of the scheduled date to appear unless the person sooner appears or otherwise responds in court to the satisfaction of the magistrate. Upon notice, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall suspend any privilege the person failing to appear or otherwise respond may have to operate a motor vehicle in this state, including any driver's license issued to the person by the Division of Motor Vehicles, until final judgment in the case and, if a judgment of guilty, until all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed are paid in full. The suspension shall be imposed in accordance with the provisions of section six, article three, chapter seventeen-b of this code.

    (2) In addition to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, if a person charged with any hunting violation described in chapter twenty of this code fails to appear or otherwise respond in court, the magistrate court shall notify the Director of the Division of Natural Resources of the failure thereof within fifteen days of the scheduled date to appear unless the person sooner appears or otherwise responds in court to the satisfaction of the magistrate. Upon notice, the Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall suspend any privilege the person failing to appear or otherwise respond may have to hunt in this state, including any hunting license issued to the person by the Division of Natural Resources, until final judgment in the case and, if a judgment of guilty, until all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed are paid in full.

    (3) In addition to the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, if a person charged with any fishing violation described in chapter twenty of this code fails to appear or otherwise respond in court, the magistrate court shall notify the Director of the Division of Natural Resources of the failure thereof within fifteen days of the scheduled date to appear unless the person sooner appears or otherwise responds in court to the satisfaction of the magistrate. Upon notice, the Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall suspend any privilege the person failing to appear or otherwise respond may have to fish in this state, including any fishing license issued to the person by the Division of Natural Resources, until final judgment in the case and, if a judgment of guilty, until all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed are paid in full.

    (e) In every criminal case which involves a misdemeanor violation, a magistrate may order restitution where appropriate when rendering judgment.

    (f) (1) If all costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties imposed by a magistrate court and ordered to be paid are not paid within one hundred eighty days from the date of judgment and the expiration of any stay of execution, the clerk of the magistrate court shall notify the prosecuting attorney of the county of nonpayment and provide the prosecuting attorney with an abstract of judgment. The prosecuting attorney shall file the abstract of judgment in the office of the clerk of the county commission in the county where the defendant was convicted and in any county wherein the defendant resides or owns property. The clerks of the county commissions shall record and index the abstracts of judgment without charge or fee to the prosecuting attorney and when so recorded, the amount stated to be owing in the abstract shall constitute a lien against all property of the defendant.

    (2) When all the costs, fines, fees, forfeitures, restitution or penalties described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for which an abstract of judgment has been recorded are paid in full, the clerk of the magistrate court shall notify the prosecuting attorney of the county of payment and provide the prosecuting attorney with a release of judgment, prepared in accordance with the provisions of section one, article twelve, chapter thirty-eight of this code, for filing and recordation pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision. Upon receipt from the clerk, the prosecuting attorney shall file the release of judgment in the office of the clerk of the county commission in each county where an abstract of the judgment was recorded. The clerks of the county commissions shall record and index the release of judgment without charge or fee to the prosecuting attorney.

    (g) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, payments of all fines and costs, shall be credited to amounts due in the following order:

    (1) Worthless Check Payee;

    (2) Restitution;

    (3) Magistrate Court Fund;

    (4) Regional Jail Fund;

    (5) Worthless Check Fund;

    (6) Per Diem Regional Jail Fee;

    (7) Community Corrections Fund;

    (8) Regional Jail Operational Fund;

    (9) Law Enforcement Training Fund;

    (10) Crime Victims Compensation Fund;

    (11) Court Security Fund;

    (12) Courthouse Improvement Fund;

    (13) Litter Control Fund;

    (14) Sheriff arrest fee;

    (15) Teen Court Fund;

    (16) Other costs, if any;

    (17) Fine.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require magistrate courts to credit the payments related to worthless check payees and restitution before any other costs or fines are paid.

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