Trial Delays Affecting Victims Of Crime

229 Words1 Pages
Trial delays hurt victims of crime because it puts them in a potentially dangerous position, all the while delaying the justice they deserve. If the suspect isn't confined, there's no assurance for the victim that they are safe and the longer the delay is, the more insecurity there is. Not only that, but housing defendants during delays hurts the victim's family and the taxpayer. Meanwhile, trial delays actually help suspects. In fact, in the last 15 years 72% of continuances were requested by defense attorneys. This is an incredibly high percentage, especially considering that prosecutors have always had a consistent percentage of requesting continuances at only 2.6%. The blame for these delays and postponed justices can be traced back