The court need only consider the issue of speedy trial if raised by the defendant.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Only If The Defendant Requests
• D. Always Considered

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that the right to a speedy trial is something the defendant must bring to the court’s attention in order for it to be considered. The court does not automatically search for or raise a speedy-trial problem on its own. If the defense does not raise the issue—by filing a timely motion or objection—the issue is typically deemed waived or not preserved for review. Only after the defendant properly raises and preserves the claim does the court apply the appropriate analysis to determine whether a speedy-trial violation occurred. So the statement is true: the court normally considers the speedy-trial issue only when the defendant raises it.