Summary
Merrick Garland’s failure to swiftly prosecute Trump for inciting the January 6th insurrection allowed Trump to run for president again in 2024.
Garland’s slow-walking of the investigation undermined the seriousness of Trump’s actions and normalized him as a Republican front-runner.
Garland’s inaction contributed to the current state of the republic, where Trump is poised to return to the White House.
This is why Trump can say the government is broken and it resonates with people. These things should not take years and years. “Right to a speedy trial” needs to be upheld.
The key word there is “right to.” If someone is willing to have a plea deal or move quickly to trial, they can. But if you want, and have the resources to pay for a lawyer, you can delay the process out for a very long time. Just because you have a right to a speedy trial doesn’t mean you have to exercise that right.
I suggest that we make everyone use a public defender. Problem solved, at least in criminal cases. Nationalize lawyers.
Why would that change speedy trial? Plenty of defendants with PDs waive speedy trial.