(a) When a law-enforcement officer observes any respondent abuse the petitioner or minor children or the respondent's physical presence at any location in knowing and willful violation of the terms of an emergency or final protective order issued under the provisions of this article or section 5-509 or 5-608 of this chapter granting the relief pursuant to the provisions of this article, in knowing and willful violation of the terms of a protection order from another jurisdiction that is required to be enforced pursuant to section four, article twenty-eight of this chapter, he or she shall immediately arrest the respondent.
(b) When a family or household member is alleged to have committed a violation of the provisions of section 27-903 or 28-7, a law-enforcement officer may arrest the perpetrator for said offense where:
(1) The law-enforcement officer has observed credible corroborative evidence, as defined in subsection 27-1002(b), that the offense has occurred; and
(2) The law-enforcement officer has received, from the victim or a witness, a verbal or written allegation of the facts constituting a violation of section 27-903; or
(3) The law-enforcement officer has observed credible evidence that the accused committed the offense.
(c) Any person who observes a violation of a protective order as described in this section, or the victim of such abuse or unlawful presence, may call a local law-enforcement agency, which shall verify the existence of a current order, and shall direct a law-enforcement officer to promptly investigate the alleged violation.
(d) Where there is an arrest, the officer shall take the arrested person before a circuit court or a magistrate and, upon a finding of probable cause to believe a violation of an order as set forth in this section has occurred, the court or magistrate shall set a time and place for a hearing in accordance with the West Virginia rules of criminal procedure.
Structure West Virginia Code
Chapter 48. Domestic Relations
Article 27. Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence
§48-27-101. Findings and Purposes
§48-27-201. Applicability of Definitions
§48-27-202. Domestic Violence Defined
§48-27-203. Emergency Hearing Defined
§48-27-204. Family or Household Members Defined
§48-27-205. Final Hearing Defined
§48-27-206. Law-Enforcement Agency Defined
§48-27-207. Program for Victims of Domestic Violence Defined
§48-27-208. Program of Intervention for Perpetrators Defined
§48-27-209. Protective Order Defined
§48-27-303. Effect of Petitioner Leaving Residence
§48-27-304. Commencement of Proceeding
§48-27-305. Persons Who May File Petition
§48-27-306. Counterclaim or Affirmative Defenses
§48-27-307. Persons Accompanying Petitioner
§48-27-308. Charges for Fees and Costs Postponed
§48-27-309. Priority of Petitions
§48-27-310. Full Faith and Credit
§48-27-311. Service of Process
§48-27-312. Production of Documents Pursuant to a Subpoena Duces Tecum
§48-27-401. Interaction Between Domestic Proceedings
§48-27-403. Emergency Protective Orders of Court; Hearings; Persons Present
§48-27-501. Issuance of Protective Order; Modification of Order
§48-27-502. Mandatory Provisions in Protective Order
§48-27-503. Permissive Provisions in Protective Order
§48-27-504. Provisions in Protective Order for Person Witnessing or Reporting Domestic Violence
§48-27-506. Effect of Protective Order on Real and Personal Property
§48-27-507. Mutual Protective Orders Prohibited
§48-27-508. Costs to Be Paid to Family Court Fund
§48-27-509. Conditions of Visitation in Cases Involving Domestic Violence
§48-27-511. Purging of Domestic Violence Files
§48-27-701. Service of Pleadings and Orders by Law-Enforcement Officers
§48-27-801. Reports of Domestic Violence to State Police
§48-27-802. Maintenance of Registry by State Police
§48-27-901. Civil Contempt; Violation of Protective Orders; Order to Show Cause
§48-27-902. Violations of Protective Orders; Criminal Complaints
§48-27-903. Misdemeanor Offenses for Violation of Protective Order; Repeat Offenses; Penalties
§48-27-1001. Arrest for Violations of Protective Orders
§48-27-1002. Arrest in Domestic Violence Matters; Conditions
§48-27-1003. Nonjudicial Enforcement of Order
§48-27-1101. Rules of Practice and Procedure; Forms to Be Provided; Operative Date
§48-27-1102. Authorization for the Promulgation of Legislative Rules
§48-27-1103. Training of Law-Enforcement Officers in Domestic Violence