Gideon v. Wainwright: The Case That Guaranteed a Lawyer for Every Defendant

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with breaking into a pool hall in Panama City, Florida. He could not afford a lawyer, and the judge told him the state only provided attorneys in capital cases. Gideon defended himself, lost, and was sentenced to five years in prison. From his cell, he handwrote a petition to the Supreme Court on prison stationery. The Court took his case and unanimously ruled that every person accused of a serious crime has the right to a lawyer, even if they cannot pay for one. This is the story of Gideon v. Wainwright.