Gideon v Wainwright Aftermath in the United States
Gideon v Wainwright Aftermath
Introduction to Gideon v Wainwright Aftermath
The Supreme Court decision did not free Gideon; it only gave him the right to a new trial with a lawyer. The case against Gideon had been weak from the start, based on the testimony of a young man on probation for car theft who had initially been a suspect in the burglary. A trial attorney from Panama City easily discredited this testimony and also found new witnesses on Gideon’s behalf. At the second trial the jury found Gideon not guilty.
In part as a result of the Gideon decision, most large cities and some states now retain a staff of attorneys known as public defenders who provide counsel for indigent defendants in criminal cases. In other areas, trial court judges appoint private attorneys to represent poor defendants and the government pays any fees. Some areas combine these two systems.” (1)
Resources
Notes and References
- Information about Gideon v Wainwright Aftermath in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia