West Virginia Code 48-2-503 – Consanguineous marriage; penalty
(a) If a person marries another who is within the degrees of relationship described in section 2-302, and the relationship is founded on consanguinity, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500, or be confined in the county or regional jail for not more than six months, or both, in the discretion of the court.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 48-2-503
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- State: means a state of the United States, or the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See West Virginia Code 48-14-601
(b) If a person who is a resident of this state marries in another state or country, the person violates subsection (a) of this section if:
(1) The persons married are within the degrees of relationship described in section 2-302 and the relationship is founded on consanguinity;
(2) The person intends to evade the law of this state;
(3) The person intends to return and reside in this state; and
(4) The persons, after marrying, return to this state and cohabit as man and wife.
(c) For purposes of this section, the fact of cohabitation of the persons as man and wife is evidence of their marriage.