sep 11, 1961 - Gideon v. Wainwright
- Right to an Attorney
Description:
The petitioner in that case, Clarence Earl Gideon, was charged with felony breaking and entering in Florida. He was too poor to afford a defense attorney, so he asked the judge to appoint an attorney on his behalf. At the time, Florida only offered court-appointed attorneys for indigent defendants in capital cases. The Supreme Court overturned that ruling, setting a precedent among all state courts.
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Constitutional Timeline
Law and Justice
Samantha Creech 3B
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