Brady v. State

In this criminal case involving an alleged denial of the constitutional right to a speedy trial, the defendant was unaware of the charge pending against him for most of the period of delay. Because of this circumstance, the Court of Special Appeals apparently did not employ the normal balancing test, weighing all of the various factors relevant to the trial delay. Instead, it held that, absent knowledge of the pending charge, a showing of actual prejudice resulting from the delay was necessary for a dismissal of the charge on speedy trial grounds. Because, in our view, this holding is in…