ABSTRACT
In the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright, the US Supreme Court held that the right of an indigent defendant in a criminal trial to have the assistance of counsel was a fundamental right essential to a fair trial and due process under the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. The Gideon decision reversed the Court's previous position in Betts v. Brady, and changed the operation of criminal procedure throughout the nation. The case arose in Florida when the petitioner, Clarence Earl Gideon, was charged with breaking into and entering a poolroom with intent to commit a crime. Gideon appeared in court without funds and without a lawyer and asked the court to appoint counsel for him. The judge denied the request, citing the Florida legal requirement that counsel would be appointed only for defendants charged with a capital offense.
