People v. Superior Court, 27 Cal. App. 5th 36 (Cal. Ct. App. 2nd. Dist. 2018)
Nature of Case: George Vasquez, held for 17 years as a probable cause SVP in California State Hospitals, was ordered released by LA Superior Court as that length of delay was held unconstitutional violation of Vasquez’s right to a Speedy Trial.
Holding: Appellate Court affirmed. While some of the delay was due to fault of individual attorneys, much of it was attributable to a fundamental breakdown in the SVP public defense system in California. Because such faults are attributable to the state, Vasquez’s right to a speedy trial was violated.