In 1963, in the matter of Gideon v. Wainwright, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution mandated the right to counsel in criminal cases for defendants who were unable to afford an attorney.
The Supreme Court explained, “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. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.”
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