Gideon v. Wainwright
Here’s the situation...
Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for breaking and entering
in Panama City, Florida. Facing a judge and jury, he requested
an attorney be assigned to him, as he was unable to hire one
himself. Under Florida law, an attorney is only assigned when
a sentence could contain a death penalty; Gideon’s case did
not qualify. After a Pro Se defence, Gideon was sentenced by
the jury to five years in prison.
General Information
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Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested in 1961, in
Panama City, FL for Breaking and Entering.
Gideon, being too poor to afford one, asking the
judge for an attorney be appointed to defend him.
Florida state law appoints attorneys in trials
containing the possibility of a death sentence; he
was denied.
After a Pro Se defense, Gideon was convicted by
the jury and sentenced to five years in prison.
The Pursuing of Justice
➢ Gideon filed a writ of Habeas Corpus to the Florida
Supreme Court, stating that the denial of an attorney
infringed on his constitutional rights and called for a
mistrial.
➢ The Florida State Supreme Court disagreed and denied his
request.
➢ Gideon then sent a writ of Habeas Corpus to the United
States Supreme Court, who review his case in 1963.
Supreme Court Ruling
➢ The United States reviewed a previous case, Betsy v.
Brady (1942), which stated that the Florida Law did not
infringe upon the Sixth Amendment.
➢ Upon looking over both cases, the Supreme Court agreed
unanimously with Gideon and repealed the law.
➢ They stated that the right to an attorney in the Sixth
Amendment was a fundamental right, and was included in
Due Process of the Fifth.
Greater Issues
➢ The case opened up the debate about how responsible
states were for criminal law and upholding the Bill of Rights
in general.
➢ It more strongly integrated the dominance of the
constitution in state government.
➢ It was also a part of the reform of criminal law in the United
States during the 1950s and 1960s.
PAY ATTENTION
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What was the original year of his trial?
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What was the crime he was convicted of?
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Which Amendments were covered in the Supreme Court ruling?
Sources
http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-a
ctivities/facts-and-case-summary-gideon-v-wainwright
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_gideo
n.html