N.Y. Judiciary Law § 177-a: Declaration of legislative findings and intent

§ 177-a. Declaration of legislative findings and intent. 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.