What is one interest that the right to a speedy trial is designed to protect?

The right to a speedy trial is fundamentally designed to protect individuals from the detrimental effects of prolonged pretrial incarceration. When a defendant is held in custody awaiting trial, they may face significant hardships, including the potential loss of employment, strained family relationships, and the psychological toll of being incarcerated without having been convicted of a crime. The presumption of innocence is a core principle of the justice system; therefore, keeping individuals in custody for extended periods before their trial can be seen as oppressive and unjust. By ensuring that trials are conducted in a timely manner, this right aims to safeguard the defendant's freedom and dignity while promoting a fair legal process.

While minimizing court backlogs, ensuring the public's right to know, and facilitating plea deals are important considerations within the criminal justice system, they do not encapsulate the primary focus of the right to a speedy trial, which centers more specifically on addressing the potential harms faced by defendants during pretrial detention.