§14-2A-16 Evidence. - West Virginia Statutes

§14-2A-16. Evidence.
(a) There is no privilege, except the privilege arising from the attorney-client relationship, as to communications or records that are relevant to the physical, mental or emotional condition of the claimant or victim in a proceeding under this article in which that condition is an element.

(b) If the mental, physical or emotional condition of a victim or claimant is material to a claim for an award of compensation, the court, judge or commissioner may order the victim or claimant to submit to a mental or physical examination by a physician or psychologist, and may order an autopsy of a deceased victim. The order may be made for good cause shown and upon notice to the person to be examined and to the claimant and the claim investigator. The order shall specify the time, place, manner, conditions and scope of the examination or autopsy and the person by whom it is to be made, and shall require the person who performs the examination or autopsy to file with the clerk of the court of claims a detailed written report of the examination or autopsy. The report shall set out the findings, including the results of all tests made, diagnosis, prognosis and other conclusions and reports of earlier examinations of the same conditions. On request of the person examined, the clerk of the court of claims shall furnish him a copy of the report. If the victim is deceased, the clerk of the court of claims, on request, shall furnish the claimant a copy of the report.

(c) The court, or a judge or commissioner thereof, may order law-enforcement officers employed by the state or any political subdivision thereof to provide it or the claim investigator with copies of any information or data gathered in the investigation of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis of any claim to enable it to determine whether, and the extent to which, a claimant qualifies for an award of compensation.

(d) The court, or a judge or commissioner thereof, may require the claimant to supplement the application for an award of compensation with any reasonably available medical or psychological reports relating to the injury for which the award of compensation is claimed.

(e) The court, a judge or commissioner thereof, or the claim investigator, in a claim arising out of a violation of article eight-b, chapter sixty-one of this code, shall not request the victim or the claimant to supply any evidence of specific instances of the victim's activity, or reputation evidence of the victim's sexual activity, unless it involves evidence of the victim's past sexual activity with the offender, and then only to the extent that the court, the judge, the commissioner or the claim investigator finds that the evidence is relevant to a fact at issue in the claim.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary relating to the confidentiality of juvenile records, the court of claims, a judge or commissioner thereof, or the claim investigator shall have access to the records of juvenile proceedings which bear upon an application for compensation under this article. The court of claims, a judge or commissioner thereof, and the claim investigator, shall, to the extent possible, maintain the confidentiality of juvenile records.