West Virginia § 52-2-11 Materials subpoenaed by grand jury; authorizing custodian possession and use thereof

West Virginia Statutes

§ 52-2-11 — Materials subpoenaed by grand jury; authorizing custodian possession and use thereof

West Virginia § 52-2-11

Ch. 52JURIES

Art. 2GRAND JURIES

This text of West Virginia § 52-2-11 (Materials subpoenaed by grand jury; authorizing custodian possession and use thereof) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 52-2-11 (2026).

Text

(a)For purposes of this section:

(1)“Prosecuting attorney” means a prosecuting attorney, assistant prosecuting attorney or duly appointed special prosecuting attorney.

(2)“Investigator” means an investigator employed by a prosecuting attorney’s office or an employee of a state agency authorized by the provisions of this code to perform criminal investigations. For purposes of this definition, state agency shall include a legislative committee, commission or entity authorized by the provisions of this code to perform criminal investigations.

(3)“Law-enforcement officer” shall have the same meaning as is set forth in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code: Provided, That for purposes of this section, “law-enforcement officer” shall also include those individuals

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(a) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Prosecuting attorney” means a prosecuting attorney, assistant prosecuting attorney or duly appointed special prosecuting attorney.

(2) “Investigator” means an investigator employed by a prosecuting attorney’s office or an employee of a state agency authorized by the provisions of this code to perform criminal investigations. For purposes of this definition, state agency shall include a legislative committee, commission or entity authorized by the provisions of this code to perform criminal investigations.

(3) “Law-enforcement officer” shall have the same meaning as is set forth in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code: Provided, That for purposes of this section, “law-enforcement officer” shall also include those individuals meeting the definition of “chief executive” set forth in section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code.

(4) “Subpoenaed material” means books, records, documents, papers, computers, laptops, computer hard drives, electronic records, including, but not limited to, emails, electronic files, electronic documents, metadata or any other thing in any form in which it may exist.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, material subpoenaed and received by a prosecuting attorney pursuant to a grand jury subpoena may thereafter, in the discretion of the prosecuting attorney, be delivered to a designated law-enforcement officer or investigator. Upon receipt from the prosecuting attorney, the designated law-enforcement officer or investigator may keep, review and analyze the subpoenaed materials and otherwise use the subpoenaed materials for investigative purposes.

(c) Prior to providing subpoenaed material to a designated law-enforcement officer or investigator, as authorized by subsection (b) of this section, the prosecuting attorney shall prepare and have the designated law-enforcement officer or investigator execute a nondisclosure statement acknowledging the existence and content of the subpoenaed material is secret under Rule 6(e) of the West Virginia Rules of Criminal Procedure. The prosecuting attorney shall file all nondisclosure statements, under seal, with the clerk of the circuit court. The existence or contents of any subpoenaed material subject to the provisions of this section may only be disclosed to another law-enforcement officer or investigator for investigative purposes with the prior written authorization of the prosecuting attorney and the receiving law-enforcement officer’s or investigator’s execution of a nondisclosure statement.

(d) The designated law-enforcement officer or investigator, as authorized by subsection (b) of this section, may, in the discretion of the prosecuting attorney, retain the subpoenaed material or other evidence in his or her possession, care, custody or control until the termination of the investigation or presentation of the subpoenaed matter to the grand jury.