West Virginia Code § 14-2B-5

Prosecutor to commence action to distribute profits from crime; joinder
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of parties; statute of limitations; issues to be determined in action.
(a) The prosecutor shall, within six months of the receipt of any contract or moneys, bring an
action in interpleader in accordance with the West Virginia rules of civil procedure for trial
courts of record to determine the distribution of any crime profits which have been received
or may be received in the future by the defendant. The prosecutor shall joine the defendant,
any instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof which has expended or likely
will expend taxpayer funds as a result of the commission of the crime, irncluding, without
limitation, funds to prosecute or incarcerate the defendant, all known crime victims, the
crime victim's compensation fund and any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association
or other legal entity which has paid, or agreed to pay, any crime profits to the defendant, as
parties to the action. t
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code with respect to the timely bringing of an
action, the prosecutor shall have the right to bring a civil action authorized by this section
within three years after the prosecutor first receives notice pursuant to section four of this
article. If, but for the provisions of this sections, any party would be barred from bringing an
action due to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, said party may not
recover damages against the defendant in excess of the value of the crime profits allotted to
said party by the court in accordancge with the provisions of this article.
(c) A crime victim, the defendaent or any instrumentality of the state or political subdivision
thereof which has expended or will likely expend taxpayer funds as the result of the
commission of the crimeL may bring a writ of mandamus to compel the prosecutor to bring an
interpleader action as authorized by this section. Any applicable statute of limitations shall
be tolled during the pendency of such writ.
(d) Any party to the interpleader action may demand a trial by jury on the issues of
entitlement to and the amount of damages arising from any claim of any instrumentality of
theW state or political subdivision thereof or of any crime victim, except that such claims that
have already been reduced to judgment in any other civil action by a court of competent
jurisdiction shall be conclusively presumed to have been established: Provided, That no jury
trial shall be permitted on subrogation claims of the crime victim's compensation fund.
(e) The court may, upon motion of any party or upon its own motion, consolidate with the
interpleader action any other pending civil actions by crime victims against the defendant
when the basis for such other action is the same crime which has or may result in the
generating of crime profits.

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