1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to crime; requiring the chief judge or court 
  1.3             administrator in each judicial district to assign 
  1.4             cases that include felony-level charges to judges 
  1.5             within three days following the defendant's initial 
  1.6             appearance in court upon a charge; proposing coding 
  1.7             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 630. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [630.001] [CASE ASSIGNMENT; FELONY CASES.] 
  1.10     (a) The chief judge or court administrator in each judicial 
  1.11  district shall assign all cases that include one or more 
  1.12  felony-level charges to a judge within three days, excluding 
  1.13  weekends and holidays, after the defendant's initial appearance 
  1.14  in court on a charge.  Except as provided in section 542.16 or 
  1.15  paragraph (b), the judge assigned to the case shall preside over 
  1.16  all further proceedings that take place in the case. 
  1.17     (b) A different judge may be assigned to the case: 
  1.18     (1) for good cause related to the particular case upon the 
  1.19  motion of the prosecuting attorney or defendant; or 
  1.20     (2) for good cause upon the court's initiative. 
  1.21     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  1.22     Section 1 is effective August 1, 1999, and applies to 
  1.23  criminal proceedings commenced on or after that date.