The Sixth Amendment guarantees criminal defendants "a speedy and public trial," but doesn''t define "speedy." The Supreme Court uses a balancing test from Barker v. Wingo (1972): length of delay, reason for delay, whether the defendant asserted the right, and prejudice to the defendant. Congress tried to create a bright-line rule in the Speedy Trial Act of 1974, requiring federal trials within 70 days of indictment, but the law has so many exceptions that prosecutors routinely exceed it. State courts move even slower. People sit in jail for months or years awaiting trial, especially if they can''t afford bail. Kalief Browder spent three years at Rikers Island waiting for trial on charges (later dropped) he stole a backpack; he killed himself two years after his release. Courts rarely dismiss cases for speedy trial violations unless the delay stretches years and prosecutors acted in bad faith. The right aims to prevent oppressive pre-trial detention and preserve evidence while memories stay fresh. In practice, underfunded courts, overwhelmed public defenders, and crowded dockets mean "speedy" often means anything but.