HB 4650 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Modifying the process by which a Defendant is entitled to a trial by jury in municipal court

HB 4650 modifies when defendants in West Virginia municipal court are entitled to a trial by jury. It specifies that only defendants charged with offenses carrying potential jail time or fines exceeding $5,000 qualify for a jury trial. This change directly affects individuals facing municipal court criminal charges where penalties could reach these thresholds, replacing previous eligibility rules with the new $5,000 fine standard. The bill does not alter jury size (still 12 members) or other procedural rules for municipal court trials.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Last action Jan 21, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors

Sponsors