§48-27-1001. Arrest for violations of protective orders.

(a) When a law-enforcement officer observes any respondent abuse the petitioner or minor children or the respondent's physical presence at any location in knowing and willful violation of the terms of an emergency or final protective order issued under the provisions of this article or section 5-509 or 5-608 of this chapter granting the relief pursuant to the provisions of this article, in knowing and willful violation of the terms of a protection order from another jurisdiction that is required to be enforced pursuant to section four, article twenty-eight of this chapter, he or she shall immediately arrest the respondent.

(b) When a family or household member is alleged to have committed a violation of the provisions of section 27-903 or 28-7, a law-enforcement officer may arrest the perpetrator for said offense where:

(1) The law-enforcement officer has observed credible corroborative evidence, as defined in subsection 27-1002(b), that the offense has occurred; and

(2) The law-enforcement officer has received, from the victim or a witness, a verbal or written allegation of the facts constituting a violation of section 27-903; or

(3) The law-enforcement officer has observed credible evidence that the accused committed the offense.

(c) Any person who observes a violation of a protective order as described in this section, or the victim of such abuse or unlawful presence, may call a local law-enforcement agency, which shall verify the existence of a current order, and shall direct a law-enforcement officer to promptly investigate the alleged violation.

(d) Where there is an arrest, the officer shall take the arrested person before a circuit court or a magistrate and, upon a finding of probable cause to believe a violation of an order as set forth in this section has occurred, the court or magistrate shall set a time and place for a hearing in accordance with the West Virginia rules of criminal procedure.