A person accused of assault sits in pretrial detention for eighteen months before their case is heard, then is acquitted. They lost their job, their housing, and contact with their children while legally innocent. A sexual assault survivor waits three years for trial, reliving trauma with each postponement, only to have the case collapse because witnesses have moved away and memories have faded. A family dispute over estate assets takes five years to resolve, draining resources into legal fees while relationships deteriorate beyond repair.