In Kansas, as in many other states, there are statutory time limits for bringing a defendant to trial. These time limits are in place to protect the defendant’s constitutional right to a speedy trial.

Generally, Kansas law states that if a person is in custody (meaning jailed), the state must bring them to trial within 150 days from the date of arraignment, which is the formal reading of criminal charges in the defendant’s presence. If the person is not in custody, the state has 180 days to bring them to trial.

There can be exceptions to these rules. For example, certain delays might not count toward these limits, like if the defendant or their lawyer requested the delay or if it was due to some other exceptional circumstance, like a complex case or the unavailability of a key witness.

Also, these time limits apply to when the trial needs to start, not when it needs to be completed. Trials can sometimes take days, weeks, or even months, depending on the nature of the case.

A person arrested must be brought before a judge for an initial appearance, often called an arraignment, within a relatively short period of time—generally within 48 to 72 hours, not including weekends and holidays.

These are general rules, and there can be exceptions and variances depending on the specifics of a case.