(a) Except as provided in subsection (g) hereof, whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of any offense under Section 333.01 or any statute of the United States or of any state relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, any controlled substance or any other drug:
(1) Notifies the court within thirty days of his or her arrest of his or her intention to participate in a deferral pursuant to this section; and
(2) Pleads guilty to or is found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol under subsection (c) of Section 333.01, the court, without entering a judgment of guilt and with the consent of the accused, shall defer further proceedings and, notwithstanding any provisions of this code to the contrary, place him or her on probation, which conditions shall include, that he or she successfully completes the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program as provided in West Virginia Code 17C-5A-3a. Participation therein shall be for a period of at least 165 days after he or she has served the fifteen days of license suspension imposed pursuant to West Virginia Code 17C-5A-2.
(b) A defendant’s election to participate in deferral under this section shall constitute a waiver of his or her right to an administrative hearing as provided in West Virginia Code 17C- 5A-2.
(c) (1) If the prosecuting attorney files a motion alleging that the defendant during the period of the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program has been removed therefrom by the Division of Motor Vehicles, or has failed to successfully complete the program before making a motion for dismissal pursuant to subsection (d) hereof, the court may issue such process as is necessary to bring the defendant before the court.
(2) A motion alleging such violation filed pursuant to subsection (c)(1) hereof must be filed during the period of the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program, or if filed thereafter, must be filed within a reasonable time after the alleged violation was committed.
(3) When the defendant is brought before the court, the court shall afford the defendant an opportunity to be heard. If the court finds that the defendant has been rightfully removed from the Motor Vehicle Test and Lock Program by the Division of Motor Vehicles, the court may order, when appropriate, that the deferral be terminated, and thereupon enter an adjudication of guilt and proceed as otherwise provided.
(4) Should the defendant fail to complete or be removed from the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program, the defendant waives the appropriate statue of limitations and the defendant’s right to a speedy trial under any applicable Federal or State constitutional provision, statutes or rules of court during the period of enrollment in the program.
(d) When the defendant shall have completed satisfactorily the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program and complied with its conditions, the defendant may move the court for an order dismissing the charges. This motion shall be supported by affidavit of the defendant and by certification of the Division of Motor Vehicles that the defendant has successfully completed the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program. A copy of the motion shall be served on the prosecuting attorney who shall within thirty days after service advise the judge of any objections to the motion, serving a copy of such objection on the defendant or the defendant’s attorney. If there are no objections filed within the thirty day period, the court shall thereafter dismiss the charges against the defendant. If there are objections filed with regard to the dismissal of charges, the court shall proceed as set forth in subsection (c) hereof.
(e) Except as provided herein, unless a defendant adjudicated pursuant to this subsection be convicted of a subsequent violation of Section 333.01
or West Virginia Code 17C- 5, discharge and dismissal under this section shall be without adjudication of guilt and is not a conviction for purposes of disqualifications or disabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime except for those provided in West Virginia Code 17C-5A-1, et seq. Except as provided in subsection (j), (k) and (l) of Section 333.01
regarding subsequent offenses, the effect of the dismissal and discharge shall be to restore the person in contemplation of law to the status he or she occupied prior to arrest and trial. No person as to whom a dismissal and discharge have been effected shall be thereafter held to be guilty of perjury, false swearing or otherwise giving false statement by reason of his or her failure to disclose or acknowledge his or her arrest or trial in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose other than any inquiry made in connection with any subsequent offense as that term is defined in subsection (l) of Section 333.01
.
(f) There may be only one discharge and dismissal under this section with respect to any person.
(g) No person shall be eligible for dismissal and discharge under this section:
(1) In any prosecution in which any violation of any other provision of Section 333.01 or West Virginia Code 17C-5 has been charged;
(2) If the person holds a commercial driver’s license or operates commercial motor vehicle(s);
(3) The person has previously had his or her driver’s license revoked under West Virginia Code 17C-5-2(a) or under any statute of the United States or of any state relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, any controlled substance or any other drug; or
(4) If the person refused the secondary chemical test pursuant to West Virginia Code 17C-5-7.
(h) (1) After a period of not less than one year which shall begin to run immediately upon the expiration of a term of probation imposed upon any person under this section, the person may apply to the court for an order to expunge from all official records all recordations of his or her arrest, trial and conviction, pursuant to this section except for those maintained by the Division of Motor Vehicles; provided, that any person who has previously been convicted of a felony may not make a motion for expungement pursuant to this section.
(2) If the prosecuting attorney objects to the expungement, the objections shall be filed with the court within thirty days after service of a motion for expungement and copies of the objections shall be served on the defendant or the defendant’s attorney.
(3) If the objections are filed, the court shall hold a hearing on the objections, affording all parties an opportunity to be heard. If the court determines after a hearing that the person during the period of his or her probation and during the period of time prior to his or her application to the court under this subsection has not been guilty of any serious or repeated violation of the conditions of his or her probation, it shall order the expungement.
(i) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, any person prosecuted for a violation of subsection (c) of Section 333.01, whose case is disposed of pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be liable for any court cost assessable against a person convicted of subsection (i) of Section 333.01. Payment of such costs may be made a condition of probation. The costs assessed pursuant to this subsection, whether as a term of probation or not, shall be distributed as other court costs in accordance with relevant municipal ordinances and state statutes.
(WVaC 17C-5-2b)