DELAY IN DROPPING CHARGES NO JUSTICE

On Jan. 30, Kazuya Nakagawa was arrested in the death of a Cape Girardeau man. He was a bouncer working at the Hush Puppy Too nightclub in northern Alexander County, Ill., not too far from the Mississippi River bridge. The dead man, Stephen W. Reynolds, was a customer that night.

Nearly 10 months later, the charges against Nakagawa have been dismissed. Case closed.

If Alexander County authorities couldn't make a case against Nakagawa, they were right to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charges. They saved the county considerable dollars and time. But the decision to drop the case should have been made months ago. Nakagawa spent only a few weeks in jail, but plainly the case disrupted his life. Human nature being what it is, people are quick to assume guilt when charges are filed. After 10 months of waiting, that taint may hang over Nakagawa even though the case never went to court.

The family of Stephen Reynolds also had a right to move on with their lives. With every day that passed, they expected the case to go to trial. No doubt they are angered by this development and the fact they learned of the state's decision to drop the case only shortly before it happened.

There's a reason the Constitution guarantees the right to speedy trial. It isn't a matter of just doing the right thing. Our judicial system must do the right thing in a timely manner to ensure justice.