for;speedy;trial.;Some;people;think;they
can;flee;the;state;and;avoid;charges;alto-gether.;Most;of;the;time;leaving;the;juris-diction;will;stop;the;time;from;running.
In;other;words,;a;person;could;live;in
New;Mexico;for;a;decade;or;more;with
Kansas’ 5-year limitations period and
still;be;forced;to;come;to;Kansas;for;trial.
Obviously,;for;federal;courts;this;is;irrele-vant.;Federal;jurisdiction;is;anywhere;in
the;United;States,;thus,;such;tolling;only
applies;if;the;defendant;flees;the;U.S.;As
soon;as;he;returns,;regardless;of;the;limi-tations;period,;he;will;be;arrested;and
forced;to;answer;for;the;crime;charged.
Something else that often confounds
defendants;and;defense;attorneys;is;the
doctrine;of;acquiescence.;Simply;stated,
if;the;prosecutor;asks;for;a;continuance
and;the;defense;doesn’t;object,;that;time
may;not;count.
Another;aspect;of;the;so-called;speedy
trial;is;the;right;to;be;served;with;com-plaints/warrants within a reasonable
time period. Technically, this is not a
speedy trial issue, but is often applied
hand-in-hand;in;legal;opinions.;For;ex-ample,;in;Kansas,;it;is;unreasonable;to
take;24;months;to;serve;an;outstanding
warrant;;however,;as;long;as;the;statute
of;limitations;has;not;run;( 5;years;for
most;criminal;charges),;the;only;result;of
such;an;outstanding;summons/warrant
is;dismissal;followed;by;the;State;re-filing
the;charges.;When;this;happens;the;de-fendant;will;be;served;timely;the;second
time,;often;when;he;appears;in;court;to
argue;his;motion;for;dismissal!;Probation
warrants;are;typically;where;these;types
of;dismissal;arguments;are;made;since
there;really;isn’t;a;statute;of;limitations,
just;requirements;as;to;when;the;warrant
for;a;violation;is;issued.;It’s;more;a;due
process;of;law;matter;than;speedy;trial.
For example, if the defendant resides
within;the;jurisdiction;and;isn’t;served
within;24;months;of;issuance;of;the;war-
rant,;a;judge;will;probably;grant;the;mo-tion;to;dismiss;the;warrant;and;the;case
will;be;closed;without;consequence;since
his;due;process;rights;were;violated;by
such;unnecessary;delay.
b. The right to a public trial.
The;right;to;a;public;trial;doesn’t;need
much explanation. The State can’t cart
a;defendant;off;to;a;compound,;try;him
away;from;public;view;or;scrutiny,;and
send;him;off;to;prison.;It;may;not;sound
like;much,;but;the;reality;is;that;the;right
to;a;speedy;trial;would;be;moot;without
the;right;to;a;public;trial.;With;all;eyes
watching;it;would;be;difficult;for;the;state
to;pull;a;fast;one.;Jurors,;the;press,;citizens
sitting;in;on;the;proceedings,;and;such,
are;essential;to;maintaining;the;integrity
of;our;criminal;justice;system.;There;are
exceptions.;The;most;obvious;one;and;the
one;most;often;exercised;is;direct;orders
to;counsel;and;parties;that;they;cannot
talk;to;the;press.;Realistically,;there;are
ways around this. Many slick litigators
plant;information;in;places;easy;for;savvy
reporters;to;find,;such;as;anonymous;tip-
sters.;Prosecutors;do;the;same;thing;;in-
deed,;moles;in;police;departments;have
been;known;to;leak;information,;often;to
the;detriment;of;the;State’s;case.
A;non-litigant-related;form;of;restric-tion occurs in unusually high profile,
high controversy cases, and involves
much;more;than;telling;the;parties;and
their;lawyers;to;keep;their;mouths;shut
for;the;purpose;of;preserving;the;right;to
a;fair;and;impartial;trial;for;both;sides.
If a case involves sensitive civil rights
issues, such as police officers standing
trial;for;use;of;excessive;force;against;mi-
norities,;judges;often;impose;restrictions
on;the;type;of;press;coverage;that;can;oc-
cur,;such;as;banning;cameras;or;audio
recordings.
There;are;more;practical;aspects;that
seemingly;conflict;with;this;right;but;are
unavoidable,;such;as;courtroom;space.
Many;high-profile;trials;are;so;popular
with;the;press;and;the;public;that;judg-
es;are;forced;to;predetermine;who;can
attend;the;trial;simply;because;there;are
not;enough;seats;in;the;courtroom;to
accommodate everyone who wants to
attend. There have even been lotteries
held;where;only;the;lucky;winners;were
given;seats;in;the;proceedings.
Guantanamo;Bay,;Cuba,;provides;an
example;of;the;only;hardline;exception
to;the;right;to;a;public;trial;(and;speedy
one, for that matter). Simply put, if a
person;is;facing;a;military;trial,;be;he
enemy;combatant,;soldier,;or;sailor,;he
is;not;entitled;to;a;public;trial.;However,
if;the;suspected;“enemy;combatant”;is;a
U.S.;citizen,;he;may;still;assert;his;right
to;a;trial;in;a;civilian;court;subject;to;all
the;applicable;rights, 1;though;he;may;not
be;successful;in;his;petition;if;he;cannot
show;that;he;is;not;an;enemy;combatant.
If;the;person;being;tried;is;a;citizen;sol-dier;or;sailor;submits;to;military;jurisdic-tion,;he;is;still;entitled;to;a;speedy;trial,
but;not;a;public;one.
Even with the practical limitations
placed;on;public;trials;as;well;as;permis-sible;judicial;modifications;to;this;right,
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