Opinion ID: 1695996
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant's Assertion of Right to Speedy Trial

Text: Barker declares that an accused has no duty to bring himself to trial. Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. at 527, 92 S.Ct. at 2190, 33 L.Ed.2d at 115. We have repeatedly accepted this premise. See, e.g., State v. Ferguson, supra ; Flores v. State, 574 So.2d at 1318; Jaco v. State, 574 So.2d at 632; Vickery v. State, 535 So.2d at 1377; Williamson v. State, 512 So.2d 868, 877 (1987); Turner v. State, 383 So.2d at 491. Yet the majority says, Adams never really asserted a right to a speedy trial ... [and] weigh[s] this factor against him ... . and relies heavily on this fact. This seems inconsistent with the premise just noted. It seems odd under today's facts. Adams had a trial setting on December 2, 1988. He cannot be faulted for failing to demand a speedy trial in the days leading up to that date. He had no way of knowing the Court would continue his case. Between June 30 and October 17, the prosecution labored under the burden of bad indictments. I know of no law that says we can force an accused to forego his right to proper indictment on pain of forfeiting his right to a speedy trial.