A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide funds for dwi processing courts in areas of the state that have a large backlog of dwi cases.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year to the Administrative Office of the Courts for the establishment of short‑term DWI processing courts to be used in areas of the State with a large backlog of DWI cases.  The number of DWI cases pending in each judicial district shall be reviewed, and the Administrative Office of the Courts shall determine where short‑term DWI processing courts would have the most effect and the length of time a DWI processing court might be necessary to relieve the backlog of that district.  Up to three short‑term DWI processing courts may be in operation at any given time.  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall place the short‑term DWI processing courts in the locations determined most appropriate initially.  When the backlog of a particular area has been resolved, the Administrative Office of the Courts shall cease operation of the processing court in that district and establish another short‑term DWI processing court in another district with a backlog.  The funds appropriated by this act may be used to pay for the personnel costs of operating the short‑term DWI processing courts.  The prosecutor assigned to each DWI processing court shall be experienced in the prosecution of DWI offenses and shall have experience prosecuting in the judicial district where the DWI processing court is established.
The Administrative Office of the Courts shall report to the Chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Committees and the Chairs of the Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittees on Justice and Public Safety by March 1, 2006, on the implementation of the short‑term DWI processing courts provided for in this section.
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.