Understaffed and Overworked, Are Minnesota Criminal Courts Falling Apart?

In Minnesota Criminal Courts, a defendant can request a speedy trial. This means the attorney will motion the court to make the case a priority and move it through the system faster. Speedy trial cases are to be heard within 60 days unless one of the parties can show good reason for delay.

Recently, according to this article from the Pioneer Press, a criminal case was overturned due to a long drawn out wait when the defendant had requested a speedy trial. Tameca Griffin’s assault conviction was overturned by the court of appeals earlier this month.

Griffin’s case was scheduled, canceled, and rescheduled 30 times between December 2006 and June 2007. The majority of these cancellations and delays were simply because other cases took priority and the courts just didn’t have time to get to her.

Experts are concerned what this appeals decision may mean for future cases and what it says about the Minnesota criminal courts overall. There is no question that the courts are over burdened and understaffed. This leads to excessive delays and serious backups in the system.

Interestingly, this decision came out while the Chief Justice was speaking in opposition to Governor Pawlenty’s proposed cuts. These cuts would result in the loss of 300 to 400 jobs, further stressing an already cracking system.

What does this mean for the average defendant? Well, if you are facing criminal charges you may be waiting a while for your case to be heard. The courts make cases a priority when the defendant is in custody. This is works for you if you happen to be locked up (not that being in jail is a positive development in your case). However, if you have been released on bond, and are waiting for your life to resume and get some closure on a criminal legal problem, you are out of luck.

A criminal trial is immensely stressful. Add delays and interruptions and a typical criminal case could possibly take more than a year to resolve. That is the point of a “speedy trial” under the constitution. “Justice delayed is justice denied”.

Knowing the system and how to work within that system is a requirement for the best MN criminal defense attorneys. But when the system is too slow and clogged to administer justice, we all lose.

If you are facing criminal charges in Minnesota and concerned about how long you might wait for your day in court, you are not alone. Call today to discuss the specifics of your case and to see how we can help.