Every person who shall, at any hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, receive or cause to be furnished any food or accommodation, with intent to defraud the owner or keeper of such hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, and any person who shall obtain credit at any hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, by the use of any false pretense or device, or by depositing in such hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, any baggage or property of less value than the amount of such credit, or of the bill by such person incurred, with such fraudulent intent, and any person who, after obtaining credit or accommodation at any hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, shall abscond from such hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, or shall remove or attempt to remove therefrom any baggage or personal property of any kind subject to the lien provided for in section five, article eleven, chapter thirty-eight of this code, with intent to defraud the owner or keeper of such hotel, inn, eating, lodging or boardinghouse, or restaurant, without first having paid, satisfied or arranged all claims or bills for lodging, entertainment or accommodation, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $200, and may, in the discretion of the court or justice trying the case, be confined in the county jail for a term of not less than ten nor more than thirty days. A justice of the peace for the county wherein the offense was committed shall have concurrent jurisdiction of such offense with the circuit or other courts of such county.

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Terms Used In West Virginia Code 61-3-40

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Offense: includes every act or omission for which a fine, forfeiture, or punishment is imposed by law. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10