Justices Told Case Could Produce ‘Chaos of Constitutional Proportions’
A lawyer for the state of Vermont told the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that a ruling for the defendant in a case on speedy trial rights could lead to “chaos of constitutional proportions.”
Christina Rainville, chief deputy state’s attorney for Vermont, told the justices the case had implications that could affect all courts, the Bennington Banner reports.
Rainville sought to overturn a Vermont Supreme Court ruling holding that delays caused by a defendant’s lawyers should count against the state rather than the defendant, the New York Times reports. The Vermont high court found a three-year delay in the trial of defendant Michael Brillon, caused by him or his lawyers, had violated his right to a speedy trial.
But the New York Times concludes that the decision in Vermont v. Brillon is likely to be narrow and fact-based. Its story says the oral arguments focused on delays caused by Brillon when he fired or threatened his lawyers. According to a Washington Post editorial, Brillon was represented by six different publicly financed lawyers. He fired two, threatened the life of a third, and “had two others leave,” according to the Post.
An Associated Press story on the arguments agreed that the Supreme Court was unlikely to endorse a broad rule allowing the dismissal of charges because of delays caused by public defenders.
