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An Act To Appropriate and Allocate Funds To Strengthen the State's Efforts To Investigate, Prosecute and Punish Persons Committing Drug Crimes
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §157, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. III, §2, is further amended to read:
 
A. The Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, shall appoint to the District Court 3640 judges. At least one judge must be appointed from each district who is a resident of a county in which the district lies, except that in District 3 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies; in District 6 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies; and in District 9 there must be 2 judges appointed who are residents of a county in which the district lies. Four judges must be appointed to the District Court to hear drug-related criminal cases exclusively; of those judges, one sits in Presque Isle in District 2, one sits in Bangor in District 3, one sits in Lewiston in District 8 and one sits in Portland in District 9. Each District Court Judge has a term of office of 7 years.
 
To be eligible for appointment as a District Judge, a person must be a member of the bar of the State. The term "District Judge" includes the Chief Judge and Deputy Chief Judge.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Drug Enforcement Agency 0388
 
Initiative: Provides funding for 14 Investigative Agent positions from the General Fund and funding for training and costs associated with conducting investigations from Other Special Revenue Funds.

GENERAL FUND	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	$0	$1,465,090	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$1,465,090	

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	$0	$227,033	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$0	$227,033	
 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
ATTORNEY GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE
 
Administration - Attorney General 0310
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding for 4 Assistant Attorney General positions that will be dedicated to prosecuting drug crimes.

GENERAL FUND	2013-14	2014-15	
Personal Services	$0	$327,180	
All other	$0	$19,764	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$346,944	

SUMMARY
This bill creates 4 new District Court Judge positions within the Judicial Department. These judges must hear and decide drug-related criminal cases and sit in the cities of Presque Isle, Bangor, Lewiston and Portland.
This bill provides funding for 14 Investigative Agent positions in the Department of Public Safety, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and funding for training and costs associated with conducting investigations.
This bill also provides funding for 4 Assistant Attorney General positions in the Department of the Attorney General that will be dedicated to prosecuting drug crimes.