The Sixth Amendment proclaims that every individual facing criminal prosecution has the right to a speedy trial and a public trial $($Lab et al$.,2021).$ This amendment is designed to benefit the defense, the prosecution, and the individual facing trial and ensure a smooth trial process while keeping the system from becoming overrun with criminal prosecutions $($Lab et al$.,2021).$ At times, criminal prosecutions can take months or even years to go to trial. Thus, each state has their own guidelines as to what is considered to be a speedy trial that does not violate the Sixth Amendment. In the state of Iowa, there are three distinct rules in place designed to protect an individual$$s right to a speedy trial. Under rule $2\mathrm{.}33,$ an indictment must be found against a defendant within the span of $45$ days $($Casetext$,2024).$ If an indictment is not found, the case must be dismissed by the court $($Casetext$,2024).$ Once an indictment is found, the rule states that the defendant must face trial within $90$ days following the indictment and failure to do so will result in the case being dismissed $($Casetext$,2024).$ Additionally, every criminal case is required to be brought to trial within the span of a year from the defendant$$s original arraignment and initial hearing $($Casetext$,2024).$ This rule can be bypassed by requesting an extension, which must be brought about by good reason and requires court approval $($Casetext$,2024).$

Based on the rules in Iowa, a criminal prosecution cannot take over a year to reach its official trial process or it could risk being thrown out. I think this allotted time is reasonable and justifiable. Not every criminal prosecution takes the same amount of time to resolve from the initial arrest to the completion of the criminal trial $($Bain$,2024).$ The amount of time that it takes to complete a criminal prosecution can be affected by a number of factors such as the crime$$s severity, the defendant's criminal background, the time required for the preparation of the case by the defense attorney and prosecutor, witness availability, and jury recruitment $($Bain$,2024).$ With this process being so intricate, delays are not entirely uncommon $($Bain$,2024).$ Therefore, while everyone has the right to a speedy trial, there should be enough time given to the court system to allow for unexpected delays while still ensuring that the trial works its way through the system in a timely manner. However, just like other amendments, the defendant has the right to waive their right to a speedy trial if they wish to do so$.$ If the defendant chooses to waive their rights, they must complete a form to either waive their $90-$day trial rights or their one$-$year trial rights.