🇺🇸 United States
📜 Civil Law
1963
Landmark Case
Supreme Court
Gideon v. Wainwright
U.S. Supreme Court
Case Details
Case Summary
Unanimously held that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial, and as such applies to the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Final Judgment / Ruling
Unanimous ruling: states must provide counsel to criminal defendants who cannot afford their own attorney.
Why This Case Matters
Established the right to a court-appointed attorney for criminal defendants who cannot afford one, creating the public defender system.