Gideon Case Summary

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Issue: Whether the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution applies to defendants with no capital offenses in state court?
Rule: Florida law only permitted legal representation for defendants charged with capital offenses.
Analysis: Clarence Earl Gideon was charged in Florida state court with a felony, for supposedly having broken into a bar in Florida. Gideon was at the wrong place and at the wrong time, and that was the reason why he was convicted. Gideon appeared in court without an attorney, he then requested to court to have legal representation, but according to state laws in Florida, defendant with certain offenses can only be appointed to have an attorney. Because Gideon could not afford a lawyer and did not have any capital offenses he had to represent himself on trial, and as a consequence he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. When Gideon was in prison, he wrote to the United States Supreme Court a letter in which he argued that he had being denied to have a …show more content…

Some individuals do not have the capacity to represent themselves, and that is the reason why lawyers exist to advice or act for clients in a court of law and any other legal matters. In the Gideon´s case, Gideon did not have the enough money to get a lawyer nor the right to be represented by a counsel because of the laws made in the state of Florida, and I believe money should not be an obstacle to be represented by a lawyer when needed, and also the level of crime should not restrict individuals from getting advice from a professional. At the end of the case the Supreme Court ruled that states are required under the 6th amendment (speedy trial, fair jury, to have assistance of counsel to his defense, and also to confront the witness who is accusing the individual) to provide attorneys in criminal cases to represent defendants who cannot afford to pay their own

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