Gideon

Gideon v Wainwright

1963 Gideon was arrested and charged with breaking and entering. Gideon was scheduled to appear in trial, however, he could not afford to provide his own lawyer. The court refused to provide Gideon with a lawyer, claiming that they were not obligated to provide a lawyer for "indigent defendants in capital cases." Gideon was forced to represent himself, which proved difficult as he was uneducated.

Should a defendant be denied a lawyer simply because he does not have the means to provide for himself?

The Supreme Court ruled in Gideon's favor. They upheld the 6th amendment's guarantee of to representation in court. Justice Black stated that "lawyers in criminal courts are necessities, not luxuries." This decision overturned the Supreme Court's previous decision in 1942 in the case of Betts v. Brady.

-McKenzie Connell