These rules are adopted by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire pursuant to the authority established in Part II, Article 73-A of the New Hampshire Constitution. They took effect on January 1, 2016 and apply to criminal actions pending or filed in circuit court or superior court in Cheshire and Strafford Counties on or after that date. They took effect in Belknap County on July 1, 2016 and apply to criminal actions pending or filed in circuit court or superior court in Belknap County on or after that date. They took effect in Merrimack County on January 1, 2017 and apply to criminal actions pending or filed in circuit court or superior court in Merrimack County on or after that date. They took effect in the remaining counties as of the date set forth by Supreme Court Order pursuant to RSA 592-B:2, III. See October 17, 2016 felonies first implementation order at http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme/orders/10-17-16-Order.pdf, and are now in effect in all counties. In exceptional circumstances, when the court finds that the application of these rules to cases pending as of the effective date would not be feasible or would work an injustice, the court may exempt such cases from the application of these rules or from a particular rule.