Who suffers most from delays in forensic assessments? We know from Canadian experiences, such as that we noted earlier in Manitoba, that delays in fitness to stand trial assessments can lengthen dramatically without much fanfare or notice by the general public (See: Psychiatric Assessment Backlog in Manitoba). Where there is a strong appearance that the accused was suffering from a profound mental illness that properly …

Continue reading Victim’s Mother Worries She Won’t Live to See Justice as Murder Case Faces Delays

The Have and Have-Nots of Timeliness In criminal cases defendants are constitutionally entitled to timely justice but may also benefit from the increased uncertainty and decay in the quality of evidence that almost inevitably flows from long delays and asymmetrically benefits criminal defendants. Indeed, in some jurisdictions there is a decrease in guilty pleas as trial delays lengthen. For victims and the community there is …

Continue reading Kent Cody Barlow Case Delayed Indefinitely: A Loss for Everyone