POS2041 Lecture Notes - Lecture 34: Clarence Earl Gideon

• School: Miami Dade College
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POS2041
• Professor: Vilma Petrash

Document Summary

Clarence earl gideon was charged in florida state court with felony breaking and entering. When he appeared in court without a lawyer, gideon requested that the court appoint one for him. According to florida state law, however, an attorney may only be appointed to an indigent defendant in capital cases, so the trial court did not appoint one. Gideon represented himself in trial and he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. Gideon filed a habeas corpus petition in the florida supreme court, arguing that the trial court"s decision violated his constitutional right to be represented by counsel. The florida supreme court denied habeas corpus relief: constitutional question. Whether the sixth amendment"s right to counsel in criminal cases was extended to felony defendants in state courts: conclusion. The sixth amendment"s guarantee of a right to assistance of counsel applies to criminal defendants in state court by way of the fourteenth amendment.