Brief Summary with Facts
The history of the case should be traced back to the day when the defendant, Mr. Gideon, was charged by a Florida state court with a felony. The court decided that he had been seen by an eyewitness entering a poolroom, in order to commit a robbery. Gideon did not have enough funds to pay to a lawyer, and he asked the court to provide him with legal defense. The justice's answer was simple: "Mr. Gideon, I am sorry, but I cannot appoint Counsel to represent you in this case. Under the laws of the State of Florida, the only time the Court can appoint Counsel to represent a Defendant is when that person is charged with a capital offense" (Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963). Gideon had to defend himself during the trial. He was found guilty of the felony and later filed a petition to the Florida Supreme Court. Gideon's habeas corpus relief petition was also denied.
Rule of Law
In this case, the rule of law is based on the facts, which were also used by Betts in Betts v. Brady to prove the unconstitutional nature of the denial to have a Counsel during the trial. Betts was charged with robbery in Maryland, and he informed the judge of the lack of financial resources to hire a lawyer. Because the county did not have any legal basis to appoint a Counsel for Betts, he himself developed a sophisticated strategy of legal defense. As a result, in a trial without witnesses and a jury, the judge found Betts guilty of the robbery, sentencing him to eight years in prison (Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963). The rule of law can be found in the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right of every defendant to have an attorney.
Issue
The issue at hand was in whether the requirement to provide defendants with a lawyer was crucial to the quality, fairness, and objectivity of the trial process. Another issue was in whether the right of the defendant to have a Counsel was so fundamental that it had to be guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Holding
The unanimous decision was delivered by Justice Hugo L. Black. The Supreme Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteed the right of the defendant to have a Counsel appointed in all criminal cases, prosecutions, and trials beyond capital punishment. According to Justice Black, proper and fair defense during trials is one of the fundamental elements of the U.S. Constitution, and both State and Federal Courts must comply with its provisions. Moreover, the Sixth Amendment does not make any distinction between capital and non-capital cases, meaning that, in all criminal prosecutions, the defendant hass the right to have a Counsel appointed for legal defense (Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963).
Discussion
The Supreme Court performed a profound analysis of the earlier precedents to conclude that the right to have a Counsel appointed for defense during criminal prosecutions and trials was the fundamental right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The right to have a legal Counsel during trials is further linked to the legal right of the defendant to be heard. The Supreme Court decided that, without a legal Counsel, the right to be heard by the court would be of little use to the defendant. Finally, the defendant who lacks legal knowledge and skills and does not have a Counsel cannot be fully prepared for adequate defense. By providing the defendant with a legal Counsel, the court guarantees that the defendant has a helping hand at all stages of the process. Without professional legal assistance, the defendant faces the growing risks of unlawful conviction, since he does not know how to prove his innocence (Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963). Overall, the case became a unanimous legal recognition of the defendant's right to have legal protection during the trial, thus creating better conditions for achieving and maintaining the atmosphere of fairness in criminal justice proceedings.
