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SB242 SUB1 Senate Bill 242 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

Senate Bill No. 242

(By Senators Kessler, Foster, White and Plymale)

____________

[Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;

reported April 1, 2009.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §17C-5-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §61-11-22 of said code, all relating to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs generally; encouraging participation in the interlock program for person awaiting adjudication; and adding DUI offenses to the jurisdiction of drug courts.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §17C-5-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that §61-11-22 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 17C. TRAFFIC REGULATIONS AND LAWS OF THE ROAD.

ARTICLE 5. SERIOUS TRAFFIC OFFENSES.
§17C-5-2. Driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs; penalties.

(a) Any person who:
(1) Drives a vehicle in this state while he or she:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight; and
(2) While driving does any act forbidden by law or fails to perform any duty imposed by law in the driving of the vehicle, which act or failure proximately causes the death of any person within one year next following the act or failure; and
(3) Commits the act or failure in reckless disregard of the safety of others and when the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs is shown to be a contributing cause to the death, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than two years nor more than ten years and shall be fined not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000.
(b) Any person who:
(1) Drives a vehicle in this state while he or she:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug;
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight; and
(2) While driving does any act forbidden by law or fails to perform any duty imposed by law in the driving of the vehicle, which act or failure proximately causes the death of any person within one year next following the act or failure, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than ninety days nor more than one year and shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $1,000.
(c) Any person who:
(1) Drives a vehicle in this state while he or she:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight; and
(2) While driving does any act forbidden by law or fails to perform any duty imposed by law in the driving of the vehicle, which act or failure proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than himself or herself, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than one day nor more than one year, which jail term is to include actual confinement of not less than twenty-four hours, and shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1,000.
(d) Any person who:
(1) Drives a vehicle in this state while he or she:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, but less than fifteen hundredths of one percent, by weight;
(2) Is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for up to six months and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. A person sentenced pursuant to this subdivision shall receive credit for any period of actual confinement he or she served upon arrest for the subject offense.
(e) Any person who drives a vehicle in this state while he or she has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of fifteen hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than two days nor more than six months, which jail term is to include actual confinement of not less than twenty-four hours, and shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1,000. A person sentenced pursuant to this subdivision shall receive credit for any period of actual confinement he or she served upon arrest for the subject offense.
(f) Any person who, being an habitual user of narcotic drugs or amphetamine or any derivative thereof, drives a vehicle in this state is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than one day nor more than six months, which jail term is to include actual confinement of not less than twenty-four hours, and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. A person sentenced pursuant to this subdivision shall receive credit for any period of actual confinement he or she served upon arrest for the subject offense.
(g) Any person who:
(1) Knowingly permits his or her vehicle to be driven in this state by any other person who:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug;
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight;
(2) Is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not more than six months and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500.
(h) Any person who knowingly permits his or her vehicle to be driven in this state by any other person who is an habitual user of narcotic drugs or amphetamine or any derivative thereof is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not more than six months and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500.
(i) Any person under the age of twenty-one years who drives a vehicle in this state while he or she has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of two hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, but less than eight hundredths of one percent, by weight, for a first offense under this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $100. For a second or subsequent offense under this subsection, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for twenty-four hours and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. A person who is charged with a first offense under the provisions of this subsection may move for a continuance of the proceedings, from time to time, to allow the person to participate in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program as provided in section three-a, article five-a of this chapter. Upon successful completion of the program, the court shall dismiss the charge against the person and expunge the person's record as it relates to the alleged offense. In the event the person fails to successfully complete the program, the court shall proceed to an adjudication of the alleged offense. A motion for a continuance under this subsection may not be construed as an admission or be used as evidence.
A person arrested and charged with an offense under the provisions of this subsection or subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of this section may not also be charged with an offense under this subsection arising out of the same transaction or occurrence.
(j) Any person who:
(1) Drives a vehicle in this state while he or she:
(A) Is under the influence of alcohol;
(B) Is under the influence of any controlled substance;
(C) Is under the influence of any other drug;
(D) Is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or
(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight; and
(2) The person while driving has on or within the motor vehicle one or more other persons who are unemancipated minors who have not reached their sixteenth birthday is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than two days nor more than twelve months, which jail term is to include actual confinement of not less than forty-eight hours and shall be fined not less than $200 nor more than $1,000.
(k) A person violating any provision of subsection (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (i) of this section, for the second offense under this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not less than six months nor more than one year and the court may, in its discretion, impose a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000.
(l) A person violating any provision of subsection (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (i) of this section, for the third or any subsequent offense under this section, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one nor more than three years and the court may, in its discretion, impose a fine of not less than $3,000 nor more than $5,000.
(m) For purposes of subsections (k) and (l) of this section relating to second, third and subsequent offenses, the following types of convictions are to be regarded as convictions under this section:
(1) Any conviction under the provisions of subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g) of this section or under a prior enactment of this section for an offense which occurred within the ten-year period immediately preceding the date of arrest in the current proceeding;
(2) Any conviction under a municipal ordinance of this state or any other state or a statute of the United States or of any other state of an offense which has the same elements as an offense described in subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of this section, which offense occurred within the ten-year period immediately preceding the date of arrest in the current proceeding.
(n) A person may be charged in a warrant or indictment or information for a second or subsequent offense under this section if the person has been previously arrested for or charged with a violation of this section which is alleged to have occurred within the applicable time period for prior offenses, notwithstanding the fact that there has not been a final adjudication of the charges for the alleged previous offense. In that case, the warrant or indictment or information must set forth the date, location and particulars of the previous offense or offenses. No person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offense under this section unless the conviction for the previous offense has become final.
(o) The fact that any person charged with a violation of subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) of this section, or any person permitted to drive as described under subsection (g) or (h) of this section, is or has been legally entitled to use alcohol, a controlled substance or a drug does not constitute a defense against any charge of violating subsection (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of this section.
(p) For purposes of this section, the term "controlled substance" has the meaning ascribed to it in chapter sixty-a of this code.
(q) The sentences provided in this section upon conviction for a violation of this article are mandatory and are not subject to suspension or probation: Provided, That the court may apply the provisions of article eleven-a, chapter sixty-two of this code to a person sentenced or committed to a term of one year or less for a first offense under this section. An order for home detention by the court pursuant to the provisions of article eleven-b, of said chapter sixty-two of this code may be used as an alternative sentence to any period of incarceration required by this section for a first or subsequent offense: Provided, however, That for any period of home incarceration ordered for a person convicted of second offense under this section, electronic monitoring shall be required for no fewer than five days of the total period of home confinement ordered and the offender may not leave home for those five days notwithstanding the provisions of section five, article eleven-b, chapter sixty-two of this code: Provided further, That for any period of home incarceration ordered for a person convicted of a third or subsequent violation of this section, electronic monitoring shall be included for no fewer than ten days of the total period of home confinement ordered and the offender may not leave home for those ten days notwithstanding section five, article eleven-b, chapter sixty-two of this code.
(r) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, any person charged for a first offense under the provisions of this section, or section seven, article five of this chapter who agrees at the time of his or her arraignment to register for the interlock program provided for in section three-a, article five-a of this chapter shall have six months of incarceration suspended from his or her sentence. The time spent on the interlock program between the person's arraignment and his or her adjudication shall be subtracted from any period of license revocation that may be ordered.
CHAPTER 61. CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT.

ARTICLE 11. GENERAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING CRIMES.
§61-11-22. Pretrial diversion agreements; conditions; drug and alcohol court programs.

(a) A prosecuting attorney of any county of this state or a person acting as a special prosecutor may enter into a pretrial diversion agreement with a person under investigation or charged with an offense against the State of West Virginia when he or she considers it to be in the interests of justice. The agreement is to be in writing and is to be executed in the presence of the person's attorney, unless the person has executed a waiver of counsel.
(b) Any agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section may not exceed twenty-four months in duration. The duration of the agreement must be specified in the agreement. The terms of any agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this section may include conditions similar to those set forth in section nine, article twelve, chapter sixty-two of this code relating to conditions of probation. The agreement may require supervision by a probation officer of the circuit court, with the consent of the court. An agreement entered into pursuant to this section must include a provision that the applicable statute of limitations be tolled for the period of the agreement.
(c) A person who has entered into an agreement for pretrial diversion with a prosecuting attorney and who has successfully complied with the terms of the agreement is not subject to prosecution for the offense or offenses described in the agreement or for the underlying conduct or transaction constituting the offense or offenses described in the agreement, unless the agreement includes a provision that upon compliance the person agrees to plead guilty or nolo contendere to a specific related offense, with or without a specific sentencing recommendation by the prosecuting attorney.
(d) No person charged with a violation of the provisions of section two, article five, chapter seventeen-c of this code may participate in a pretrial diversion program. No person charged with a violation of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article two of this chapter may participate in a pretrial diversion program unless the program is part of a community corrections program approved pursuant to the provisions of article eleven-c, chapter sixty-two of this code. No person indicted for a felony crime of violence against the person where the alleged victim is a family or household member as defined in section two hundred three, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code or indicted for a violation of the provisions of section three, four or seven, article eight-b of this chapter is eligible to participate in a pretrial diversion program. No defendant charged with a violation of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article two of this chapter or subsection (b) or (c), section nine of said article where the alleged victim is a family or household member is eligible for pretrial diversion programs if he or she has a prior conviction for the offense charged or if he or she has previously been granted a period of pretrial diversion pursuant to this section for the offense charged. Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, defendants charged with violations of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article two of this chapter or the provisions of subsection (b) or (c), section nine, article two of said chapter where the alleged victim is a family or household member as defined by the provisions of section two hundred three, article twenty-seven, chapter forty-eight of this code are ineligible for participation in a pretrial diversion program before July 1, 2002, and before the community corrections subcommittee of the Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction established pursuant to the provisions of section two, article eleven-c, chapter sixty-two of this code, in consultation with the working group of the subcommittee, has approved guidelines for a safe and effective program for diverting defendants charged with domestic violence.
(e) The provisions of section twenty-five of this article are inapplicable to defendants participating in pretrial diversion programs who are charged with a violation of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article two, chapter sixty-one of this code. The community corrections subcommittee of the Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction established pursuant to the provisions of section two, article eleven-c, chapter sixty-two of this code shall, upon approving any program of pretrial diversion for persons charged with violations of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article two of this chapter, establish and maintain a central registry of the participants in the programs which may be accessed by judicial officers and court personnel.
(f) (1) The chief judge of a circuit court in cooperation with the prosecuting attorneys, the public defenders, if any, in the circuit, and the community criminal justice board if the program is to be operated pursuant to the provisions of article eleven-c, chapter sixty-two of this code may establish and operate a drug and alcohol court program as a diversion program or an alternative sentencing program, or both, to address offenses that stem from substance or alcohol use or abuse.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "drug and alcohol court program" means a program designed to achieve a reduction in recidivism and substance and alcohol abuse among nonviolent, substance or alcohol abusing offenders by increasing their likelihood for successful rehabilitation through early, continuous, and intense supervised treatment, mandatory periodic drug or alcohol testing as applicable and the use of appropriate sanctions and other rehabilitation services.
(3) A drug and alcohol court program is to provide, at a minimum:
(A) For successful completion of a diversion or plea agreement in lieu of incarceration;
(B) Access by all participating parties of a case to information on the offender's progress;
(C) Vigilant supervision and monitoring procedures;
(D) Random substance abuse or alcohol testing, as applicable;
(E) Provisions for dealing with noncompliance, modification of the treatment plan and revocation proceedings;
(F) For its operation only when appropriate facilities and outpatient services are available; and
(G) For payment of court costs, treatment costs, supervision fees and program user fees by the offender, unless payment of the costs and fees would impose an undue hardship.
(4) An offender is eligible for a drug and alcohol court program only if:
(A) The underlying offense does not involve a felony crime of violence, unless there is a specific treatment program available designed to address violent offenders;
(B) The offender has no prior felony conviction in this state or another state for a felony crime of violence; and
(C) The offender admits to having a substance, alcohol, or both substance and alcohol abuse addiction.
(5) The court may provide additional eligibility criteria it considers appropriate.





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