Section 177-A. Declaration of legislative findings and intent  


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  • The
      legislature hereby  finds  and  declares  that  an  emergency  of  grave
      dimensions  exists  in  narcotics  law  enforcement  in  cities having a
      population of one million or more.  The overall law  enforcement  effort
      has  not been successful in stemming the distribution of narcotic drugs.
      The legislature finds that the ineffectiveness of  official  efforts  to
      contain  the  narcotics  traffic  is  due  in  significant  part  to the
      inability of the overburdened criminal justice system to cope  with  the
      enormous volume of narcotics cases.
        The  legislature  further finds that this crisis, which transcends the
      traditional jurisdictional boundaries of the counties  wholly  contained
      within  such  cities having a population of one million or more, demands
      coordinated prosecution,  centralized  direction  and  the  infusion  of
      massive new resources.
        The  legislature  declares  that  without  these  new  directions  and
      resources, this crisis will intensify and  very  shortly  overwhelm  the
      already strained criminal justice system.
        Based  upon the above findings the legislature hereby declares that an
      emergency narcotics court program is required.
        It is the intent of  the  legislature  that  the  emergency  narcotics
      program should be coordinated by the division of criminal justice of the
      office  of  planning  services  in cooperation with the criminal justice
      coordinating councils of such cities. The program would  be  implemented
      by  the  joint  efforts of the district attorneys of the counties within
      cities having a population of one million or more,  the  judiciary,  and
      other  criminal  justice  services  acting in accordance with a mutually
      agreed  upon  plan.  The  legislature  contemplates  that  the   program
      authorized   herein  shall  consist  of  the  establishment  of  special
      narcotics parts in the supreme court in cities having  a  population  of
      one  million  or  more  to hear and determine narcotic cases from within
      counties wholly contained in a city having a population of  one  million
      or  more,  commencing  not  later  than  the  September nineteen hundred
      seventy-two term and continuing thereafter during the  duration  of  the
      emergency.
        The  legislature  declares  that  the  resources  necessary  for these
      special narcotics parts of the supreme court can be made available  only
      through  a  combination  of  federal  funds  from  the  law  enforcement
      assistance administration of the United States  department  of  justice,
      and  state  and  local  funds, services and facilities.  To this end the
      legislature declares that in order  to  utilize  presently  appropriated
      federal funds, all necessary agreements shall be entered into forthwith.