The quote below comes from the Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963):

The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law.

In what way did this ruling produce a fundamental change in the United States?

It resulted in the rewriting of numerous state constitutions.

It had the potential to free thousands of prisoners across the nation.

It required the establishment of a nationwide system of public defenders.

It made it much more difficult for police to obtain evidence of criminal activity.

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History

Coleman Hoffman

12 October, 20:04

The quote below comes from the Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963):

The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law.

In what way did this ruling produce a fundamental change in the United States?

It resulted in the rewriting of numerous state constitutions.

It had the potential to free thousands of prisoners across the nation.

It required the establishment of a nationwide system of public defenders.

It made it much more difficult for police to obtain evidence of criminal activity.

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Answers (2)

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Josie Rocha · Answer 1

It required he establishment of a nationwide system of public defenders

Ellis Myers · Answer 2

The Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) produced a fundamental change in the United States as it required the establishment of a nationwide system of public defenders.

Clarence Earl Gideon (1910-1972), when accused of having committed a crime, thought of claiming legal assistance because he lacked legal knowledge, which was denied by the Florida courts, alleging that the laws of that State restricted that right to cases in which the death penalty could be imposed. In this way he had to represent himself and invoked, in an unsuccessful way, his innocence, being sentenced to five years in prison.

From the state penitentiary, and making use of the jail library, Mr. Gideon appealed to the Supreme Court arguing that his constitutional right to the defense guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment had been undermined. The Supreme Court admitted his case and assigned him as a lawyer, for the oral hearing, to Abraham "Abe" Fortas, who would later be judge of the Court itself, between 1965 and 1969.

In the famous Gideon v. Wainwright of March 18, 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that States were required, by mandate of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, to provide legal assistance in criminal matters to all persons, and not only to those who faced cases of capital punishment, who lacked resources to pay their defense.

Following the re-trial, as a result of the Supreme Court ruling, Gideon was acquitted.