1. A case in which the defendant's criminal responsibility at the time of the crime is in question may be transferred to the district court for evaluation upon written request by the defendant. The defendant shall initiate the request within twenty-eight days after arraignment and the district court shall order the defendant to undergo a criminal responsibility evaluation under chapter 12.1-04.1.

2. Following the evaluation, if the defendant asserts the defense of lack of criminal responsibility, the case must remain in district court for trial. If the defendant does not assert the defense of lack of criminal responsibility, the district court shall remand the case to the municipal court for further proceedings.

3. In proceedings under this section, the city shall provide a prosecuting attorney and, in the case of an indigent defendant, a defense attorney. The city may contract with the county, state, or any person for the prosecution or defense services.