A simple handwritten petition of a modest man changed the procedures of criminal trials. Discuss the 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright case, in detail. How did it change the legal system for the better?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers may vary.Many people accused of crime cannot afford to hire a lawyer; most criminal defendants are represented by public defenders who are also government employees. The history of public defenders dates from the 1963 case of Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court held that the State of Florida was obligated to pay for a lawyer for Clarence Earl Gideon, a small-town thief who lived on the fringes of society. Gideon had initially been denied a lawyer after he was accused of breaking and entering into a pool hall to steal money, and he was convicted following an unsuccessful attempt to defend himself. While incarcerated, he appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, contending that the Constitution guaranteed every criminal defendant's right to a lawyer. Gideon's case was heard in 1963, despite the fact that only 3% of appeals are usually considered and that the Supreme Court had dismissed the same proposition in the 1942 case of Betts v. Brady, ruling that free counsel was only a right under "special circumstances."Gideon was represented before the Supreme Court by Abe Fortas, who argued that legal representation for defendants was a necessity for a fair trial and that the "special circumstances" rule from Betts v. Brady was difficult to apply fairly. The Court ruled unanimously in Gideon's favor, and Gideon was later acquitted after he was granted a new trial and a state-appointed attorney. Because of Gideon's petition and subsequent successful appeal, states have established public defender programs, hiring lawyers to represent those who cannot afford them.