North Dakota Code § 29-34-01

Agreement on detainers
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The agreement on detainers is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state with 
all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:
The contracting states solemnly agree that:
ARTICLE I
The party states find that charges outstanding against a prisoner, detainers based on 
untried indictments, informations or complaints, and difficulties in securing speedy trial of 
persons already incarcerated in other jurisdictions, produce uncertainties which obstruct 
programs of prisoner treatment and rehabilitation. Accordingly, it is the policy of the party states 
and the purpose of this agreement to encourage the expeditious and orderly disposition of such 
charges and determination of the proper status of any and all detainers based on untried 
indictments, informations or complaints. The party states also find that proceedings with 
reference to such charges and detainers, when emanating from another jurisdiction, cannot 
properly be had in the absence of cooperative procedures. It is the further purpose of this 
agreement to provide such cooperative procedures.
ARTICLE II
As used in this agreement:
1. "State" shall mean a state of the United States; the United States of America; a 
territory of possession of the United States; District of Columbia; the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico;
2. "Sending state" shall mean a state in which a prisoner is incarcerated at the time that 
he initiates a request for final disposition pursuant to Article III hereof or at the time that 
a request for custody or availability is initiated pursuant to Article IV hereof;
3. "Receiving state" shall mean the state in which trial is to be had on an indictment, 
information or complaint pursuant to Article III or Article IV hereof.
ARTICLE III
1. Whenever a person has entered upon a term of imprisonment in a penal or 
correctional institution of a party state, and whenever during the continuance of the 
term of imprisonment there is pending in any other party state any untried indictment, 
information or complaint on the basis of which a detainer has been lodged against the 
prisoner, he shall be brought to trial within one hundred eighty days after he shall have 
caused to be delivered to the prosecuting officer and the appropriate court of the 
prosecuting officer's jurisdiction written notice of the place of his imprisonment and his 
request for a final disposition to be made of the indictment, information or complaint; 
provided that for good cause shown in open court, the prisoner or his counsel being 
present, the court having jurisdiction of the matter may grant any necessary or 
reasonable continuance. The request of the prisoner shall be accompanied by a 
certificate of the appropriate official having custody of the prisoner, stating the term of 
commitment under which the prisoner is being held, the time already served, the time 
remaining to be served on the sentence, the amount of good time earned, the time of 
parole eligibility of the prisoner, and any decisions of the state parole agency relating 
to the prisoner.
2. The written notice and request for final disposition referred to in paragraph 1 hereof 
shall be given or sent by the prisoner to the official having custody of him, who shall 
promptly forward it together with the certificate to the appropriate prosecuting official 
and court by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.
3. The official having custody of the prisoner shall promptly inform him of the source and 
contents of any detainer lodged against him and shall also inform him of his right to 
make a request for final disposition of the indictment, information or complaint on 
which the detainer is based.
4. Any request for final disposition made by a prisoner pursuant to paragraph 1 hereof 
shall operate as a request for final disposition of all untried indictments, informations or 
complaints on the basis of which detainers have been lodged against the prisoner from 

the state to whose prosecuting official the request for final disposition is specifically 
directed. The official having custody of the prisoner shall forthwith notify all appropriate 
prosecuting officers and courts in the several jurisdictions within the state to which the 
prisoner's request for final disposition is being sent of the proceeding being initiated by 
the prisoner. Any notification sent pursuant to this paragraph shall be accompanied by 
copies of the prisoner's written notice, request, and the certificate. If trial is not had on 
any indictment, information or complaint contemplated hereby prior to the return of the 
prisoner to the original place of imprisonment, such indictment, information or 
complaint shall not be of any further force or effect, and the court shall enter an order 
dismissing the same with prejudice.
5. Any request for final disposition made by a prisoner pursuant to paragraph 1 hereof 
shall also be deemed to be a waiver of extradition with respect to any charge or 
proceeding contemplated thereby or included therein by reason of paragraph 4 hereof, 
and a waiver of extradition to the receiving state to serve any sentence there imposed 
upon him, after completion of his term of imprisonment in the sending state. The 
request for final disposition shall also constitute a consent by the prisoner to the 
production of his body in any court where his presence may be required in order to 
effectuate the purposes of this agreement and a further consent voluntarily to be 
returned to the original place of imprisonment in accordance with the provisions of this 
agreement. Nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the imposition of a concurrent 
sentence if otherwise permitted by law.
6. Escape from custody by the prisoner subsequent to his execution of the request for 
final disposition referred to in paragraph 1 hereof shall void the request.
ARTICLE IV
1. The appropriate officer of the jurisdiction in which an untried indictment, information or 
complaint is pending shall be entitled to have a prisoner against whom he has lodged 
a detainer and who is serving a term of imprisonment in any party state made 
available in accordance with Article V, paragraph 1, hereof upon presentation of a 
written request for temporary custody or availability to the appropriate authorities of the 
state in which the prisoner is incarcerated; provided that the court having jurisdiction of 
such indictment, information or complaint shall have duly approved, recorded and 
transmitted the request; and provided further that there shall be a period of thirty days 
after receipt by the appropriate authorities before the request be honored, within which 
period the governor of the sending state may disapprove the request for temporary 
custody or availability, either upon his own motion or upon motion of the prisoner.
2. Upon receipt of the officer's written request as provided in paragraph 1 hereof, the 
appropriate authorities having the prisoner in custody shall furnish the officer with a 
certificate stating the term of commitment under which the prisoner is being held, the 
time already served, the time remaining to be served on the sentence, the amount of 
good time earned, the time of parole eligibility of the prisoner, and any decisions of the 
state parole agency relating to the prisoner. Said authorities simultaneously shall 
furnish all other officers and appropriate courts in the receiving state who have lodged 
detainers against the prisoner with similar certificates and with notices informing them 
of the request for custody or availability and of the reasons therefor.
3. In respect of any proceeding made possible by this Article, trial shall be commenced 
within one hundred twenty days of the arrival of the prisoner in the receiving state, but 
for good cause shown in open court, the prisoner or his counsel being present, the 
court having jurisdiction of the matter may grant any necessary or reasonable 
continuance.
4. Nothing contained in the Article shall be construed to deprive any prisoner of any right 
which he may have to contest the legality of his delivery as provided in paragraph 1 
hereof, but such delivery may not be opposed or denied on the ground that the 
executive authority of the sending state has not affirmatively consented to or ordered 
such delivery.
5. If trial is not had on any indictment, information or complaint contemplated hereby prior 
to the prisoner's being returned to the original place of imprisonment pursuant to 

Article V, paragraph 5, hereof, such indictment, information or complaint shall not be of 
any further force or effect, and the court shall enter an order dismissing the same with 
prejudice.
ARTICLE V
1. In response to a request made under Article III or Article IV, hereof, the appropriate 
authority in a sending state shall offer to deliver temporary custody of such prisoner to 
the appropriate authority in the state where such indictment, information, or complaint 
is pending against such person in order that speedy and efficient prosecution may be 
had. If the request for final disposition is made by the prisoner, the offer of temporary 
custody shall accompany the written notice provided for in Article III of this agreement. 
In the case of federal prisoners, the appropriate authority in the receiving state shall be 
entitled to temporary custody as provided by this agreement or to the prisoner's 
presence in federal custody at the place for trial, whichever custodial arrangement 
may be approved by the custodian.
2. The officer or other representative of a state accepting an offer of temporary custody 
shall present the following upon demand:
a. Proper identification and evidence of his authority to act for the state into whose 
temporary custody the prisoner is to be given.
b. A duly certified copy of the indictment, information, or complaint on the basis of 
which the detainer has been lodged and on the basis of which a request for 
temporary custody of the prisoner has been made.
3. If the appropriate authority shall refuse or fail to accept temporary custody of said 
person, or in the event that an action on the indictment, information, or complaint on 
the basis of which the detainer has been lodged is not brought to trial within the period 
provided in Article III or Article IV hereof, the appropriate court of the jurisdiction where 
the indictment, information, or complaint has been pending shall enter an order 
dismissing the same with prejudice, and any detainer based thereon shall cease to be 
of any force or effect.
4. The temporary custody referred to in this agreement shall be only for the purpose of 
permitting prosecution on the charge or charges contained in one or more untried 
indictments, informations, or complaints which form the basis of the detainer or 
detainers or for prosecution on any other charge or charges arising out of the same 
transaction. Except for his attendance at court and while being transported to or from 
any place at which his presence may be required, the prisoner shall be held in a 
suitable jail or other facility regularly used for persons awaiting prosecution.
5. At the earliest practicable time consonant with the purposes of this agreement, the 
prisoner shall be returned to the sending state.
6. During the continuance of temporary custody or while the prisoner is otherwise being 
made available for trial as required by this agreement, time being served on the 
sentence shall continue to run but good time shall be earned by the prisoner only if, 
and to the extent that, the law and practice of the jurisdiction which imposed the 
sentence may allow.
7. For all purposes other than that for which temporary custody as provided in this 
agreement is exercised, the prisoner shall be deemed to remain in the custody of and 
subject to the jurisdiction of the sending state and any escape from temporary custody 
may be dealt with in the same manner as an escape from the original place of 
imprisonment or in any other manner permitted by law.
8. From the time that a party state receives custody of a prisoner pursuant to this 
agreement until such prisoner is returned to the territory and custody of the sending 
state, the state in which the one or more untried indictments, informations, or 
complaints are pending or in which trial is being had shall be responsible for the 
prisoner and shall also pay all costs of transporting, caring for, keeping and returning 
the prisoner. The provisions of this paragraph shall govern unless the states 
concerned shall have entered into a supplementary agreement providing for a different 
allocation of costs and responsibilities as between or among themselves. Nothing 
herein contained shall be construed to alter or affect any internal relationship among 

the departments, agencies, and officers of and in the government of a party state, or 
between a party state and its subdivisions, as to the payment of costs, or 
responsibilities therefor.
ARTICLE VI
1. In determining the duration and expiration dates of the time periods provided in Articles 
III and IV of this agreement, the running of said time periods shall be tolled whenever 
and for as long as the prisoner is unable to stand trial, as determined by the court 
having jurisdiction of the matter.
2. No provision of this agreement, and no remedy made available by this agreement, 
shall apply to any person who is adjudged to be mentally ill.
ARTICLE VII
Each state party to this agreement shall designate an officer who, acting jointly with like 
officers of other party states shall promulgate rules and regulations to carry out more effectively 
the terms and provisions of this agreement, and who shall provide, within and without the state, 
information necessary to the effective operation of this agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
This agreement shall enter into full force and effect as to a party state when such state has 
enacted the same into law. A state party to this agreement may withdraw herefrom by enacting a 
statute repealing the same. However, the withdrawal of any state shall not affect the status of 
any proceedings already initiated by inmates or by state officers at the time such withdrawal 
takes effect, nor shall it affect their rights in respect thereof.
ARTICLE IX
This agreement shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes. The provisions 
of this agreement shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this 
agreement is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United 
States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held 
invalid, the validity of the remainder of this agreement and the applicability thereof to any 
government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this agreement 
shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state party hereto, the agreement shall remain in 
full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected 
as to all severable matters.

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