The case of Gideon v. Wainwright
- In reviewing the U.S. Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright, the Court believed that Mr. Gideon was not able to adequately serve as his own attorney. What information outlined in the Gideon case supports this belief? (1/4 point)
In Betts v. Brady, the Court decided that assigned legal counsel was not required only during special circumstances when the defendant is illiterate or mentally ill.
The argument put forward by Gideon’s attorney was that the defendant was illiterate because he had only an eighth-grade education and thus could not provide a substantive defense against the state. For example, during cross-examination, Gideon failed to bring out the contradictions in their statements.
- Did the Gideon decision rule out the ability for an individual to represent himself or herself in a criminal case? (1/4 point)
Fortas, a Washington DC attorney, highlighted to the Supreme Court that a defendant, irrespective of his or her academic or competency, could not be able to provide adequate defense against the state. Earlier, the U.S. constitution had allowed legal representation of defendants charged with felonies. However, the Court upheld Fortas’view that the right to legal counsel should be provided in both federal and state courts.
- In deciding Gideon, the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Betts v. Brady. What motivated the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule Betts? (1/4 point)
In Betts v. Brady, the Court had ruled that an assigned legal attorney was only required in exceptional circumstances where the defendant is illiterate or mentally challenged.
Under Gideon’s case, he could not afford an attorney, so he had to represent himself before the Court. He ended up failing because he could not point out the contradictions in the statements of the witnesses.
The Court overruled the decision by highlighting that any person has the right to an attorney by providing the 14th Amendment’s due process, which specifies that states are prohibited from depriving “any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
- What was the basis of the U.S. Supreme Court in making this decision in Gideon? (1/4 point)
Gideon was a special case because he had only had an eighth-grade education and thus could not provide adequate self-defense against the state.
Besides, Fortas, his attorney, reiterated that no defendant, irrespective of his or her competency and education, could provide adequate self-defense against the state. He further reiterated that the U.S. constitution had specified legal representation of defendants charged with felonies. The judges later accepted this view.