The television program Law & Order begins by informing viewers there are two parties in the criminal justice system, the police and the prosecutors.   In actuality, this simplified version ignores most notably, the defense.  Many people do not understand that one of the primary roles of defense counsel is that of quality control for the police, the Government, and the Court system.  A trained and experienced advocate will challenge the acts of the Government at each turn and point out where conduct in a particular case did not meet the mandates of the United States Constitution - if the Government violated a defendant's rights, they cannot use that bad evicdence to convict a defendant.

Once a criminal charge has been brought, and either an information or indictment filed, the case will go through a series of relatively predictable steps.

First, the defendant is arraigned:  This is the time where you learn of the formal charges against you, the judge advises you of your rights, and those who qualify are appointed public defenders.

Next, trial dates are generally set.  For in-custody defendants in cases set in Oregon State Court, cases are set within 60 days; in Federal Court, the time is 70 days, unless the defense agrees to a setting outside that time period, or in Federal Court if the case is declared complex.   All other hearings in the case will be set in relation to the trial date. 

Speedy trials rarely benefit the defense because the State or Government is generally ready to go to trial the day they filed their charges:  Their case has been investigated, their witnesses are subpoenaed, and they have often had a dry run at trial via the grand jury.  The defense on the other hand, needs to locate witnesses, interview them, obtain experts (and then coordinate with their busy schedules), conduct independent tests, obtain evaluations of the defendant if appropriate, etc.  This very rarely can be done within 60 or 70 days. 

It is frustrating, but one of the most important things in defending a criminal case is to do everything possible on the front end to avoid a conviction:  coulda-woulda-shoulda is not going to support your family during an unearned and undeserved penitentiary sentence.