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Gideon v Wainwright (1963)

Gideon v Wainwright (1963). Vivian Lee. Case Overview. On June 2, 1961, ten dollars and drinks were stolen from a Panama City, Florida, pool hall Clarence Earl Gideon was accused of this crime and charged in a Florida state court

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Gideon v Wainwright (1963)

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  1. Gideon v Wainwright(1963) Vivian Lee

  2. Case Overview • On June 2, 1961, ten dollars and drinks were stolen from a Panama City, Florida, pool hall • Clarence Earl Gideon was accused of this crime and charged in a Florida state court • He could not afford a lawyer and his request for one was denied • Gideon defended himself and lost the trial • Gideon was sentenced to five years in a state prison

  3. While in Prison… • Filed a habeas corpus petition (petition for release from unjust imprisonment) to the Florida Supreme Court • After being denied, Gideon appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in a suit against the Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, Louie L. Wainwright

  4. Conclusion • The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision written by Justice Hugo Black, ruled that Gideon's conviction was unconstitutional because he was denied a defense lawyer at trial • Violation of Sixth Amendment (gives defendants the right to counsel in criminal trials)

  5. Impact on Courts • The Court further interpreted the Sixth Amendment, requiring states to provide defense attorneys to any indigent criminal defendant charged with a felony • Noted that the states are also bound to the Sixth Amendment because the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause(applies the key provisions of the Bill of Rights against the states)

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