John Doyle - District 67 | ACLU West Virginia

Please provide some basic information about yourself.

Name John Doyle

Office Sought House of Delegates

City/Town Shepherdstown, WV

From 1980 to 2016 the West Virginia state prison population has increased by 470%. What, if anything, would you change to reverse this trend?

We need to stop incarcerating people for relatively minor drug & property crimes

Civil asset forfeiture is a process where police can seize any property "related" to criminal activity and later can file a civil case to forfeit the property to either be used or auctioned for money which is shared between the police department and local prosecutor. This can happen regardless of whether there is a criminal conviction or even criminal charges brought against a person.Proponents say this is a useful tool for taking ill-gotten gains from criminals and funding police work, and that legal protections adequately prevent abuse of the system.Critics say the system amounts to theft, that many people cannot afford the legal costs to challenge a forfeiture action, and that it creates a perverse incentive for police.Do you support or oppose the practice of civil asset forfeiture? What, if any, reforms would you make to the practice?

No. I believe no property should be seized from anyone accused of a crime unless & until the person is convicted and the seizure of that property is part of the sentence for the crime of which the person has been convicted.

More than half the population of West Virginia's regional jails are pre-trial. That means they haven't been found guilty of any crime yet. Most are there because they could not afford bail, though some are there because they were denied a chance to post bail. What changes, if any would you make to our pretrial and/or bail system to balance concerns about safety and court efficiency with ensuring we are not incarcerating people without due process?

Eliminate cash bail.

In 2015 West Virginia passed significant reforms to the juvenile justice system. Despite these reforms, the State still utilizes out of home placement at a high rate for system-involved youth. What, if anything, should West Virginia do to reduce out-of-home placements for system-involved juveniles?

Indeed, something must be done to reduce the frequency of out-of-state placements, but I'm not sure what that might be.

West Virginia has a very low voter participation rate. What changes, if any, would you make to increase voter participation?

(1) Adopt vote-by-mail. (2) Adopt election day registration. (3) move the election for Governor to the non-presidential year. The 35 states that have this system show less of a drop-off in the non-presidential year (the election for governor is the second biggest "draw" on the ballot, after President.

Over the past few years, there has been legislation aimed at requiring the Bible to be taught in public schools, allowing a Bible-based elective, or faith-based drug prevention electives. What is your stance on incorporating religion into the public schools?

I oppose it.

At least 20 states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 13 West Virginia municipalities have similar protections. Do you support or oppose a statewide law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in West Virginia? Why?

I support it, because it is right. I've sponsored such legislation for many years.

In December 2019, Governor Justice announced that West Virginia would continue accepting refugees. Do you support or oppose accepting refugees in West Virginia? Under what conditions? Why?

I support it, because it is right.

Q10

Over the past few years, some states have continued to erode protections and access to abortion care. Other states have done the opposite and codified abortion rights that had previously been defined by courts. Do you favor further restrictions to abortion, expanding or codifying abortion rights, or taking no action on abortion?

I favor expanding abortion rights.