State v. Allery
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The Supreme Court reversed the conclusion of the district court that the more than three-year delay between Defendant's arrest and his subsequent criminal trial did not violate his constitutional right to a speedy trial, holding that Defendant did not receive his guaranteed right to a speedy trial.
Defendant was charged with assault with a weapon. After facing a lengthy wait to be evaluated for his mental fitness to stand trial Defendant received a bed at the Montana State Hospital (MSH), where his fitness for trial improved. Defendant's fitness, however, decompensated after he was sent back to jail, leading to a second admission to MSH before the case finally went to trial. A jury found Defendant guilty, and the district court denied Defendant's motion to dismiss for lack of speedy trial. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the 1,179-day delay between Defendant's arrest and trial, due to systemic institutional problems, violated Defendant's constitutional right to a speedy trial.
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