Records relating to a juvenile proceeding transferred to criminal jurisdiction shall be sealed if the juvenile is subsequently acquitted of the offense, found guilty only of an offense other than the offense upon which the transfer or waiver was based, or the offense upon which the transfer or waiver was based was subsequently dismissed. W. Va. Rules of Juv. Proc., Rule 50(b).
Ineligible Category or Citation
There is no statutory language regarding ineligible offenses.
Procedure General
The procedure is automatic.
Fees
There is no statutory language regarding fees.
Effect
When the record of a juvenile proceeding is sealed by the court, it has the legal effect of extinguishing the offense as if it never occurred. Once the record of a juvenile is sealed, it can only be opened by order of the circuit court. W. Va. Rules of Juv. Proc., Rule 50(c).
To seal juvenile records, the records must be returned to the circuit clerk to be kept in a confidential and sealed file, marked as sealed, and stored in a secure location accessible only by clerk staff. W. Va. Rules of Juv. Proc., Rule 50(d).
Waiting Periods