Gideon v. Wainwright
Bay County Circuit Court
Issue
Gideon appeared in court without a lawyer. He asked for the court to appoint a lawyer to him but he wasn't appointed a lawyer for his court trial. He represented himself and was found guilty. He was sentenced to five years in prison.
Desicion
The supreme court voted in favor of Gideon. The vote was nine for Gideon and zero votes against him.
Impact
The supreme court decided that everyone had the right to a proper defense. Both the states and federal courts cannot deny anyone an attorney.