§ 22-3401 Time of trial.

Here's a plain English summary:

If you're charged with a crime, the court has to move your case toward trial without dragging it out. There shouldn't be pointless delays that keep you waiting longer than necessary to have your day in court.

That said, either side (the prosecution or the defense) can ask for a continuance, which is a delay in the trial date. The court will only grant this if there's a good reason for it. This could include things like needing more time to gather evidence, a witness being unavailable, or an attorney needing more time to prepare.

The main point of this rule is to balance two things: making sure justice moves forward without unfair delays, while still allowing enough flexibility for both sides to properly prepare their case when there's a legitimate reason to ask for more time.