Criminal Justice the Case of Gideon Wainwright - Essay Example

Case of Gideon Wainwright Order No. 510143 The Facts of the Case Clarence Earl Gideon V. Wainwright (1963) was charged with the offense of breaking into a pool hall in Panama City, Florida and stealing some money from their vending machines. He appealed to the court requesting them to appoint a lawyer to help fight his case, but his request was denied. Gideon had been arrested in 1961, but could not afford to pay for a lawyer. On his request to appoint an attorney, the judge told him that in Florida, attorneys were appointed only to indigent defendants whose cases could result in death penalty if found guilty.

The Issue of the Case After being denied an attorney to fight his case, Gideon was sentenced to prison for five years. Gideon immediately filed a ‘habeas corpus’ petition, which was a petition claiming his release because of unjust trial and imprisonment. He sent this petition to the Supreme Court claiming that the conviction meted out to him was unconstitutional for the fact that his trial lacked a defense attorney. However, his petition was denied by the Florida Supreme Court and therefore Gideon once again appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States who reviewed his case in 1963.

The Rule and reasoning of the decision After a unanimous decision was taken by the Supreme Court, Justice Hugo Black declared that Gideon’s trial and conviction were unconstitutional because according to the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, defendants have a right to an attorney even if they are charged with a serious offence and especially when they cannot afford it themselves. The Sixth Amendment states that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

" Prior to the 1930’s this language was interpreted by the Supreme Court as only forbidding the state to deny a defendant a defense attorney during trial, but after the 1930’s the interpretation was to provide a defense attorney to the defendant. The Impact of Gideon’s case on the Justice System The case of Gideon Wainwright had a great impact on the justice system. It was instrumental in helping the Supreme Court, to come out with an innovative approach during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Unprecedented rights were granted to criminal defendants by the Warren Court. According to (Miranda v. Arizona, 1966) the following were some of the rights – 1) the right to counsel during interrogations, 2) the right to keep silent during arrests or interrogation, and 3) the right to be informed of such rights. The Supreme Court affirmed the rights of all defendants during trials because it understood that justice could be done unless an attorney is provided to the defendant because of unequal resources, ignorance of the law and an adversarial justice system.

References Landmark Cases – Gideon www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/./landmark_gideon.html