On and after January 1, 1977, the phrase "justice of the peace" and the word "justice," when used in a context meaning "justice of the peace," shall be construed to mean magistrate as created by the provisions of this chapter. At such time the office of constable shall be abolished, and the duties previously performed by constables shall be assumed by deputy sheriffs or by such other persons as elsewhere provided in this code.
W. Va. Code § 50-1-17
Reference to justice of the peace; abolition of the office of constable
Applied in 3 court decisions — leading case 162 W. Va. 297 - State v. Mason (1978)
Most recently applied in State of West Virginia v. Megan Davis (November 2015)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: West Virginia Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain West Virginia statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.