So much is taken for granted in the practice of law that sometimes we must reflect where we are and how we got there. Those of us who practice criminal law as prosecutors or defense counsel take for granted the system in which we work, recognizing and appreciating the changes that flow from innovations like drug court, speedy trial initiatives and bail reform. Much of that could not have been accomplished if principal contributors were not full-time advocates in the offices of the attorney general, county prosecutors and public defender, and the benefit flowing from the ability of the attorney general, through the Division of Criminal Justice, to develop and coordinate the policies and procedures of the law enforcement community.

The Criminal Justice Act of 1970, effective May 21, 1970, declared the policy of New Jersey "to encourage cooperation among law enforcement officers and to provide for the general supervision of criminal justice by the Attorney General as chief law enforcement officer of the State, in order to secure the benefits of a uniform and efficient enforcement of the criminal law and the administration of criminal justice throughout the State." N.J.S.A. 52:17B-98.