LegalFix

§29-2A-11. Operation of Aircraft While Under Influence of Alcohol, Controlled Substances or Drugs; Criminal Penalties

WV Code § 29-2A-11 (2019) (N/A)
Copy with citation
Copy as parenthetical citation

(a) Any person who:

(1) Operates an aircraft in this state while:

(A) He or she is under the influence of alcohol; or

(B) He or she is under the influence of any controlled substance; or

(C) He or she is under the influence of any other drug; or

(D) He or she is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or

(E) He or she has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of four hundredths of one percent or more, by weight; and

(2) When so operating an aircraft does any act forbidden by law or fails to perform any duty imposed by law in the operation of such aircraft, which act or failure proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than himself or herself, is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for a definite term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years, or in the discretion of the court, be confined in jail not more than one year and be fined not more than $500.

(b) Any person who:

(1) Operates an aircraft in this state while:

(A) He or she is under the influence of alcohol; or

(B) He or she is under the influence of any controlled substance; or

(C) He or she is under the influence of any other drug; or

(D) He or she is under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or

(E) He or she has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of four hundredths of one percent or more, by weight;

(2) Is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail not more than one year or fined not more than $500, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(c) Any person who:

(1) Knowingly permits his or her aircraft to be operated in this state by any other person who is:

(A) Under the influence of alcohol; or

(B) Under the influence of any controlled substance; or

(C) Under the influence of any other drug; or

(D) Under the combined influence of alcohol and any controlled substance or any other drug; or

(E) Has an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of four hundredths of one percent or more, by weight;

(2) Is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail not more than one year or fined not more than $500, or both, in the discretion of the court.

(d) A person violating any provision of subsection (a) of this section is, for the second offense under this section, guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for a definite term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than five years.

(e) A person violating any provision of subsection (b) or (c) of this section is, for the second offense under this section, guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for a definite term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than three years.

(f) For purposes of subsections (d) and (e) of this section relating to second and subsequent offenses, the following types of convictions shall be regarded as convictions under this section:

(1) Any conviction under the provisions of the prior enactment of this section;

(2) Any conviction under a statute of the United States or of any other state of an offense which has the same elements as an offense described in subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this section.

(g) A person may be charged in a warrant or indictment or information for a second or subsequent offense under this section if the person has been previously arrested for or charged with a violation of this section which is alleged to have occurred within the applicable time periods for prior offenses, notwithstanding the fact that there has not been a final adjudication of the charges for the alleged previous offense. In such case, the warrant or indictment or information must set forth the date, location and particulars of the previous offense or offenses. No person may be convicted of a second or subsequent offense under this section unless the conviction for the previous offense has become final.

(h) The fact that any person charged with a violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this section, or any person permitted to operate an aircraft as described under subsection (c) of this section, is or has been legally entitled to use alcohol, a controlled substance or a drug shall not constitute a defense against any charge of violating subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this section.

(i) For purposes of this section, the term "controlled substance" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in chapter sixty-a of this code.

(j) When any person is convicted of violating any provision of this section, the clerk of the court in which such conviction is had shall, within seventy-two hours after receipt thereof, transmit a true copy thereof to the federal aviation administration.

LegalFix

Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.

LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.

The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.

You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.

The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.

Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

We have updated our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures.
§29-2A-11. Operation of Aircraft While Under Influence of Alcohol, Controlled Substances or Drugs; Criminal Penalties