Kansans awaiting trial have been stuck in limbo since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the country to a halt this past year. Now, Kansas has suspended speedy trial deadlines in order to catch up to the case backlog, meaning defendants and victims alike could be waiting several more years before their case is heard.Â
Previously, Kansas statutory speedy trial rights required a defendant to be tried within 150 days of being placed in custody. If not in custody, a defendant had to be tried within 180 days. But when the pandemic started in March 2020, courts were forced to hit pause.
Earlier this year, Gov. Laura Kelly signed HB 2078 into law, which suspends the provisions of the speedy trial statute until March 1, 2023, to help courts cope with the backlog of cases. The consequence of this, however, is that it creates the problem of possibly violating the defendant s sixth amendment rights guaranteeing a speedy trial. Â