HB 5183 directs West Virginia’s Supreme Court of Appeals to establish a single pilot domestic violence court in Kanawha County. This specialized court would handle specific misdemeanor domestic violence cases involving family or household members, including violations of laws related to assault, protective orders, and related offenses. The Supreme Court must collect data on the court’s effectiveness and report findings to lawmakers by 2027 and 2028. The pilot is limited to Kanawha County and applies only to misdemeanor cases (felony cases require a circuit judge).
HB 5471 increases annual salaries for West Virginia judges and magistrates, effective July 1, 2026. It raises magistrates' pay to $75,880 (from $63,250), Supreme Court justices to $154,600 (from $149,600), circuit judges to $143,600 (from $138,600), and family court judges to $126,424 (from $103,950). The bill also clarifies retirement contribution rules for judicial positions. These changes directly affect all active state judges and magistrates, with no county-level funding required for these salary adjustments.
HB 4980 would allow civil lawsuits against West Virginia judges who knowingly violate laws, hold unlawful hearings, or abuse litigants in their official duties. It requires victims to first report misconduct to a judicial oversight body, which must confirm "willful misconduct" before a lawsuit can proceed. The bill sets a five-year statute of limitations for claims and specifies remedies like financial compensation, punitive damages for severe cases, and attorney fees for successful plaintiffs. It explicitly excludes good-faith judicial decisions from liability and mandates public reporting of oversight findings.
HB 4609 allows magistrates to require mental health evaluations for defendants charged with specific offenses: violating protective orders (§48-27-903), personal safety orders (§53-8-11), or making threats of terroristic acts (§61-6-24), before setting bail. The bill requires the evaluation to be scheduled within 10 days, with a report to the magistrate within 48 hours, followed by a bond hearing within five days of receiving the report. This process aims to determine if mental health treatment or counseling is needed as a condition of bond. The bill directly affects defendants in these three offense categories appearing before magistrates in West Virginia.
HB 4893 increases penalties for contempt of court in West Virginia magistrate courts. It raises maximum fines for contempt: from $50 to $200 for a first offense, $100 to $500 for a second offense, and $100 to $1,000 (or up to 10 days in jail) for a third or subsequent offense related to the same matter. The bill applies directly to individuals disrupting court proceedings, including witnesses, jurors, parties, or officers who commit contempt. These changes take effect for offenses occurring after the bill's passage, with appeals still allowed to circuit court as in criminal cases.
HB 4886 clarifies travel permissions for individuals under home confinement in West Virginia. It specifies that people confined to their homes may travel only for essential purposes: work, medical appointments, religious services at their chosen place of worship, court-ordered activities, and grocery shopping for food and household items. The bill amends existing law to explicitly define these permitted destinations, removing ambiguity about allowable travel. This directly affects individuals sentenced to home confinement by circuit or magistrate courts. The change focuses solely on defining permitted travel, not altering sentencing terms or monitoring requirements.
SB 187 would establish a formal recall process for elected prosecutors in West Virginia under specific circumstances, directly affecting county prosecutors and voters seeking to remove them. The bill aims to amend existing law (§7-4-1 of the West Virginia Code) to create procedures for initiating and conducting such recalls. However, the provided bill text only includes the current duties of prosecutors (e.g., handling criminal cases, election day availability) and does not detail the proposed recall mechanisms, voter requirements, or triggering conditions. Without the actual recall provisions in the text, the specific key mechanisms cannot be summarized. The bill was introduced on January 14, 2026, and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
