Supreme Court’s ‘Gideon’ ruling at 60 and the right to counsel: In their own words

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the justices unanimously affirmed a constitutional right to a lawyer for criminal defendants who could not afford one.

Much has been written about the case, which overruled an earlier decision and forced states to create taxpayer-funded public defender offices. Movies and documentaries have also been made.

Clarence Gideon was charged with breaking into a Panama City, Florida, pool hall on June 3, 1961.

The place was vandalized, and money was stolen from a cash register. A witness later claimed he had seen Gideon leaving the business at 5:30 a.m. with a wine bottle and money in his pocket.

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Based on that account, he was charged with petty larceny and breaking and entering. He was denied a court-appointed lawyer in state court, represented himself, and was convicted.

Here are some of the key moments of the case in the words of those involved:

“Mr. Gideon, I am sorry, but I cannot appoint counsel to represent you in this case. Under the laws of the state of Florida, the only time the court can appoint counsel to represent a defendant is when that person is charged with a capital offense. I am sorry, but I will have to deny your request to appoint counsel to defend you in this case.”

— Trial judge

“The United States Supreme Court says I am entitled to be represented by counsel.”

— Gideon to the trial judge, Bay County, Florida courtroom, Aug. 4, 1961.

“Gideon seemed a man whose own private hopes and fears had long since been deadened by adversity – a used-up man, looking (15) years older than his actual age of (52). He appeared gaunt, a stooped 6 feet, 140 pounds.”

— Anthony Lewis, author of “Gideon’s Trumpet,” a 1964 book about the case.

An appeal to the Florida Supreme Court was denied, so he launched another.

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Clarence Earl Gideon’s petition to the Chief Justice of the United States against a sentence imposed by a Florida court because he had not had…