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Gideon vs. Wainwright is a US Supreme Court Case from 1963. The vote was unanimous. This court case decided under the fourth amendment, state courts are required to provide an attorney in criminal cases when the defendant cannot afford one.

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Q: What was the outcome of the case of Gideon vs Wainwright?
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Prior to the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, why was Clarence Gideon in jail?

Being refused a lawyer by the state of Florida..... apex... makes no sense to me but its right apparently


What was the name of the supreme court case of marbury vs Madison?

marbury vs. Madison


What was the amendment in the hazelwood vs kuhlmeier case?

the first amendment


What court case said racial quotas are unconstitutional?

University California vs. Bakke or the bakke case


What principle was established by the 1963 Supreme Court case Gideon vs Wainwright?

Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963), is a landmark case in United States Supreme Court history. In the case, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants unable to afford their own attorneys.Further InformationGideon v. Wainwright is a landmark US Supreme Court case that incorporated the Sixth Amendment right to counsel in criminal proceedings to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause. In this case, the Court ruled emphatically that indigent defendants were entitled to court-appointed lawyers at critical stages of prosecution, including arraignment and trial.An earlier case, Powell v. Alabama, 287 US 45 (1932) had already extended that right to state defendants in capital (death penalty) cases, but the Supreme Court later allowed the states to exercise case-by-case discretion with regard to providing attorneys for other serious criminal offenses in Betts v. Brady, 316 US 455 (1942).ExplanationClarence Earl Gideon was a drifter who had been homeless most of his life. He developed a record of petty crime as a juvenile, and continued as an adult habitual offender. Gideon had been convicted and incarcerated in Texas and Missouri prisons on charges of robbery, burglary, larceny, escape, and theft. Gideon was nearly illiterate, poor, and had little formal education.Sometime between midnight and 6:00 am on June 3, 1961, someone broke into Ira Strickland's Bay Harbor Pool Room, near Panama City, FL. The burglar smashed a window, pried open the cigarette and soda machines, and left with an unspecified amount of change, and at least one bottle of wine.Henry Cook, who lived in the neighborhood, told police he had seen Clarence Earl Gideon exit the Pool Hall around 5:30 am, carrying a bottle of wine. The police located Gideon, found $25.28 in coins in his pockets, and arrested him on charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit petty larceny, a felony.When Gideon appeared before the Florida court, he requested a court-appointed attorney, but the judge denied his request because Florida law only required the state provide counsel for capital offenses. The court record shows Gideon objected on the grounds that the Supreme Court said he had a Sixth Amendment right to legal representation. The judge refused to accommodate Gideon's request, so the defendant was forced to represent himself (pro se).Although Gideon attempted to defend himself, he was unable to discredit any witnesses or weaken the Prosecution's case. As a result, he was found guilty and sentenced to the maximum penalty - five years in prison. Gideon began serving his sentence in August 1961.Using the prison library for reference, Gideon filed a writ of habeas corpus with the Florida Supreme Court, but his petition was denied. He then wrote a six-page letter to the Supreme Court on prison letterhead, seeking to appeal against the Secretary to the Florida Department of Corrections, Louie L. Wainwright. The Supreme Court granted certiorari, and appointed future Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas as Gideon's counsel.Supreme Court DecisionIn a unanimous 9-0 decision, the Court held that its opinion in Betts v. Brady, (1942), which allowed the states to apply the Sixth Amendment selectively under the "special circumstances" doctrine, was unconstitutional. Betts essentially said the appointment of counsel was not a fundamental right; in Gideon v. Wainwright, the Court overturned the earlier precedent and asserted that "Lawyers are necessities, not luxuries." The ruling in this case incorporated the Right to Counsel Clause to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process clause, finally establishing that even indigent defendants deserved the benefit of legal representation.Gideon was not the first case in which the Warren Court expressed doubt about the ruling in Betts. Reid v. Covert,354 US 1 (1957) foreshadowed the decision to enforce the Bill of Rights against entities previously exempt from protecting certain fundamental rights. In Covert, the Supreme Court held that treaties with other countries did not revoke constitutional protections for US citizens, when the Court held that military spouses could not be convicted under military jurisdiction (except under certain exceptional circumstances), and could not be deprived of their constitutional rights, even if living overseas.Another case earlier case, Ferguson v. Georgia, 365 US 570 (1961), overturned a contradictory Georgia law that denied people deemed incompetent to testify on their own behalf "effective assistance of counsel."In Gideon, the Court essentially held that all laymen (non-lawyers) were incompetent to defend themselves at trial:"The right to be heard would be, in many cases, of little avail if it did not comprehend the right to be heard by counsel. Even the intelligent and educated layman has small and sometimes no skill in the science of law. If charged with crime, he is incapable, generally, of determining for himself whether the indictment is good or bad. He is unfamiliar with the rules of evidence. Left without the aid of counsel, he may be put on trial without a proper charge, and convicted upon incompetent evidence, or evidence irrelevant to the issue or otherwise inadmissible. He lacks both the skill and knowledge adequately to prepare his defense, even though he have a perfect one. He requires the guiding hand of counsel at every step in the proceedings against him. Without it, though he be not guilty, he faces the danger of conviction because he does not know how to establish his innocence."Gideon's conviction was overturned, and the case was remanded to the Florida Supreme Court so they could make arrangements for a new trial. Gideon was represented at the second trial by attorney W. Fred Turner, who successfully discredited the prosecution's witnesses, demonstrating there was no evidence against his client. The jury deliberated only an hour before acquitting Gideon of the charges.EpilogueThe state of Florida immediately complied with the Supreme Court's decision, and hired public defenders to work in its 16 state circuit courts.Gideon v. Wainwright, (1963) set the stage for later cases that expanded constitutional protections for the accused. For example, Miranda v. Arizona, (1966), provided that law enforcement officials must explicitly notify those in custody of their rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.In Scott v. Illinois, 440 U.S. 367 (1979), the protection was extended by guaranteeing counsel "in any charge resulting in a sentence of actual imprisonment," regardless of whether the offense was considered a felony or misdemeanor.In 2002, the Supreme Court further extended the right to counsel to any case where imprisonment is a possibility, even if the sentence is suspended, in Alabama v. Shelton, 535 US 654 (2002).

Related questions

what was the Gideon VS Wainwright case in 1963?

Clarence Gideon was accused of breaking into a pool hall in Florida . he asked for a lawyer , but Florida law at the time only provided for court appointed lawyers in capital / death penalty cases . Gideon lost the original case . but won his appeal to the supreme court , where the court ruled that the 6th amendment right to a lawyer applied to felony cases. if the defendant could not afford a lawyer, the state had to provide one .


What was the outcome of engel vs vitale case?

dragon ballz


Was there any national events going on during the supreme court case Gideon vs Wainwight?

Yes, there were several significant national events occurring during the Gideon v. Wainwright Supreme Court case. Some notable events include the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Civil Rights Movement and ongoing demonstrations against racial segregation, and the escalating involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War.


Prior to the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, why was Clarence Gideon in jail?

Being refused a lawyer by the state of Florida..... apex... makes no sense to me but its right apparently


In the book Gideon's Trumpet why does the Texas attorney general oppose the appeal of Gideon's case?

convictions of criminals would be more difficult if the Court ruled in Gideon's favor & because they would be required to provide attorneys for poor defendants at taxpayer expense if Gideon prevailed. according to: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761595570/gideon_v_wainwright.html also in the book it briefly mentioned that they (politicians in general) didn't want the supreme court second guessing themselves and overruling their decision about the betts vs. brady case


What was established by the outcome of the supreme court case marbury vs Madison?

Marbury v. Madison outlined how everyone was equal under the law. Everybody had a straight shot at everything. After this outcome was put into effect, all citizens were truly treated equally.


Why did the court rule as they did in gideon vs wainwright?

The reason the Supreme Court agreed to hear Gideon v. Wainwright is that it addressed important constitutional issues of Due Process, which is supposed to apply equally to all defendants under the law. The case specifically reviewed application of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel that, prior to the ruling in Gideon, required indigent defendants to represent themselves in most State criminal cases. This put them at an unfair disadvantage because, unlike the government prosecutor, most defendants possessed no legal training (some were even illiterate) and couldn't receive a fair trial under those circumstances.Gideon v. Wainwright is a landmark US Supreme Court case that incorporated the Sixth Amendment right to counsel in criminal proceedings to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause. In this case, the Court ruled emphatically that indigent defendants were entitled to court-appointed lawyers at critical stages of prosecution, including arraignment and trial.An earlier case, Powell v. Alabama, 287 US 45 (1932) had already extended that right to state defendants in capital (death penalty) cases, but the Supreme Court later allowed the states to exercise case-by-case discretion with regard to providing attorneys for other serious criminal offenses in Betts v. Brady, 316 US 455 (1942).Case Citation:Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963)For more information, see Related Questions, below.


What case overturned Plessy Ferguson?

The Brown vs. Board of Education case overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson case.


What was the date of the Strader vs Graham court case?

Date of the Strader vs Graham court case was in 1850. Date of the Strader vs Graham court case was in 1850.


What is the precedent in betts vs brady?

Betts v. Brady, 316 U.S. 455 (1942), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that denied counsel to indigent defendants when prosecuted by a state. It was later famously overruled by Gideon v. Wainright.


What are the top 10 case law in the US?

These are not in any particular order, but I would say;Plessy vs. Ferguson - "separate but equal" equal protectionBrown vs. Board of Education (which overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson) - equal protectionMapp vs Ohio - exclusionary rule, search and seizure, due process of the lawGideon vs. Wainwright - right to council, due process of the lawMiranda vs. Arizona - "Miranda rights", self incrimination, due process of the lawRoe vs. Wade - abortion, right to privacyMarbury vs. Madison - judicial review, federalismNew Jersey vs. T.L.O. - student search and seizureUnited States vs. Nixon - checks and balancesTerry vs. Ohio - "stop and frisk", search and seizure, due process of the law


What overturned plessy v Ferguson?

The Brown vs. Board of Education case overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson case.