West Virginia Code § 27-7-5

Return of escapees; veterans
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If any person confined in a mental health facility, pursuant to article five or six-a of this
chapter, escapes therefrom, the chief medical officer thereof may issue a notice, giving the
name and description of the person escaping and requesting the patient's apprehension and
return to the mental health facility. The chief medical officer may issue an order directed to
the sheriff of the county in which the patient is a resident, commanding hime to take into
custody and transport such escaped person back to the mental health facility, which order
the sheriff may execute in any part of the state. If such person goes to arnother state, the
chief medical officer may notify the director of health and the director may take such action
as he may deem proper for the return of such person to the mental health facility.
If any veteran duly committed to a veterans' hospital or othetr veterans' institution, either
within or without the state, escapes therefrom and any person makes complaint, under oath,
to the clerk of the circuit court of the county from which such veteran was so committed
upon the order of the circuit court, giving such information and stating such facts therein as
may be required, or if any veteran duly committed to a veterans' hospital or other veterans'
institution, either within or without the state, sescapes therefrom and the chief medical
officer of such hospital or institution issues a notice to the clerk of the circuit court of the
county from which such veteran was so committed upon the order of the circuit court, giving
the name and description of such vegteran and requesting his apprehension and return to
such hospital or institution, the circuit court upon receipt of such complaint or of such
notice, may issue an order direected to the sheriff of the county from which the veteran was
so committed commanding him to take into custody and transport such veteran back to such
hospital or institution, wLhich order the sheriff may execute in any part of the state.
The sheriff or other person taking any person into custody under this section shall be paid
such compensation as is provided for like services in other cases.
A person who is taken into custody under this section may be detained, but not incarcerated
in aW jail or penal institution, for a period not in excess of fourteen hours, pending return to
the appropriate mental health facility.

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