And then you’re found not-guilty. After being behind bars for five years.
Now granted, as the guy’s lawyer says, “Ikoli was carrying an unloaded gun” and “there’s an awful lot to not like about what he did.” But he was not guilty of murder and acquitted by a jury. His friend, who he was with, plead guilty at the start of the trial and is serving a six-year sentence. So I guess he’ll get out any day.
Innocent or guilty, good or bad, there is no excuse for a trial to take five years to get started. What ever happened to the 6th Amendment’s right to a speedy trial?
The story in the Daily News.
You know what would make me really happy? Is if, five years from now, he isn’t with his friend in prison.
The suspect probably waived the right to speedy trial, which would make it more of a right to counsel type problem. Now, it might not be the type of right to counsel problem that the Supreme Court has chosen to recognize, but the defendant probably signed waivers.
No doubt. I'm not saying that some legal form of due process wasn't followed. I'm just saying it ain't right.