Revising the statute to add costs for misdemeanor and felony convictions to be deposited into the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory Fund

HB 5597 amends West Virginia's court fee statute for civil cases, requiring $5 of a $15 fee charged for each additional defendant in a civil lawsuit to be deposited into the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory Fund. This applies specifically to civil proceedings with multiple defendants (excluding "John/Jane Doe" cases) and would redirect funds currently allocated to county general funds toward the forensic lab. The bill's title references criminal convictions, but the provided text describes a civil court fee provision, creating a discrepancy between the title and the actual policy change. This bill affects civil court proceedings, not criminal cases.