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Gideon Case Analysis

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Recommended: Gideon v. wainwright

Imagine yourself struggling with financial problems. You get put into court and was denied an attorney when requested for they believe you can defend yourself with no degree in law at all. When unable to respond properly you get put into jail just cause you couldn’t representing yourself. Well that is what Clarence Earl Gideon experienced and had to argued for on Jan 15, 1963. On June 3 of 1961, a burglary had occurred at the Bay Harbor Pool Room in Panama City, Florida. When Gideon was found near by the police arrested him and charged him with breaking and entering.Gideon could not afford a lawyer so when he appeared at the Florida Circuit Court for trial, he asked the judge to appoint one for him. The judge denied his request, claiming …show more content…

The Sixth Amendment gives defendants the right to counsel in federal prosecutions no matter what circumstance. In the first place, the florida state court should’ve granted gideon a lawyer when he requested since it was his rights as an individual the 6th amendment states, “the accused shall enjoy the right to (...) have the assistance of counsel for his defence,” (Amendment 6). This clearly points out that gideon had the right to a lawyer when requested and when denied by the state court the supreme court was to correct it for he an individual has the same rights as everyone else. Proving that the Supreme court sided to protect his individual right for it was violated. Equally important, the reason for denial of a consuel was absolutely absurd. They did not grant him a fair trial like others because they claimed that, “the state doesn't have to provide a poor person with a lawyer unless "special circumstances" exist” (Streetlaw). With this in mind the main reason the anti-federalists created the bill of rights and added the 6th amendment was because of people who were unable to obtain a counsel for their defense. Further proving that the Supreme court sided for Gideon’s rights when reopening his case and giving him counsel for the fair trial he should’ve had before. In brief, Gideon had a right to a counsel for his defense since it was his constitutional right under the 6th amendment rather he was poor or

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Prior to the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, defendant Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with breaking and entering in the state of Florida. This crime is a felony according to Florida state law. Unable to pay for defense counsel, Gideon requested that the court grant him one for free. The court denied Gideon his request of being granted defense counsel. The court stated, “Under the laws of the State of Florida, the only time the Court can appoint Counsel to represent a Defendant is when that person charged with a capital offense.”

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Clarence Earl Gideon was an indigent living in Florida who was accused of breaking into the Bay Harbor Poolroom in Panama City, Florida with the intention to commit petty larceny. He had to represent himself at trial since he was poor and Florida did not provide state-funded attorneys for indigents. Once the case was taken up by the Supreme Court, it was affirmed by unanimous decision that anyone had a right to counsel. In Betts v. Brady which Gideon’s case overturned, Betts was an indigent accused of robbery who, when he asked for counsel at his trial, was denied. He later appealed his case up the court system and eventually to the Supreme Court on the grounds that, due to such actions, he had been held illegally.

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the lawyer gathered the facts and then presented them in court. They found gideon not guilty and all charges were

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Gideon was undoubtedly found guilty of the crime and was sent to prison. While he sat in a Florida prison, Gideon felt that his constitutional right to have an attorney was not granted. Thus, Gideon formulated an appeal to the Supreme Court handwritten on prison paper. The Supreme Court accepted his documents and decided to hear his case. Prior to Gideon vs Wainwright, Betts vs Brady was the case doctrine that was followed.

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At his trial, Gideon appeared in court without representation. While in open court, he asked the judge to appoint counsel for him because he could not afford an attorney. The judge denied Gideon’s request

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David Feige’s Indefensible: One Lawyer’s Journey nto the Inferno of American Justice invites people from all walks of life to a second hand experience of the criminal justice system hard at work. What is most interesting about Feige’s work is its distinct presentation of the life of a public defender in the South Bronx. Instead of simply detailing out his experiences as a public defender, Feige takes it a step further and includes the experiences of his clients. Without the personal relationships that he carefully constructs with each of his defendants, Feige would not be able to argue that the criminal justice system is flimsy at best, decisions always riding on either the judge’s personal attitudes or the clients propensity towards plea bargaining.

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Wainwright illustrated the importance of personal rights guaranteed by the constitution. This case began when Clarence Gideon was denied a court appointed lawyer to represent him in a petty crime case. Gideon, unable to afford his own lawyer, was unable to adequately defend himself and consequently was convicted. However, he was undeterred. Gideon then wrote a letter to the Supreme Court to overturn this conviction with the 6th Amendment as his evidence of the court’s misconduct.

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