Gideon chose
W. Fred Turner
to be his lawyer in his second trial. The retrial took place on August 5, 1963, five months after the Supreme Court ruling. During the trial, Turner picked apart the testimony of eyewitness Henry Cook.
Who defended Gideon in his first trial?
The Supreme Court returned his case to Florida where he was acquitted at a second trial. Gideon had no counsel at his first trial, but he did have an attorney at the second—
Fred Turner
, a local criminal defense lawyer and later Circuit Judge.
Who represented Gideon during his trial?
About 2,000 convicted people in Florida alone were freed as a result of the Gideon decision; Gideon himself was not freed, but instead received another trial. He chose
W. Fred Turner
to be his lawyer for his retrial, which occurred on August 5, 1963, five months after the Supreme Court ruling.
Who represented Gideon on his appeal to the Supreme Court?
Image of Gideon's hand-written petition to the Supreme Court, which is written on Department of Corrections stationery. The Court took up his case in 1963 and appointed
Abe Fortas
, a renowned lawyer and future Supreme Court justice, to defend Gideon.
Was Clarence Earl Gideon actually guilty?
Despite his efforts,
the jury found Gideon guilty
and he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Gideon sought relief from his conviction by filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Florida Supreme Court.
What did Gideon steal?
Over fifty-five years ago, a poor man named Clarence Earl Gideon sat in a Florida prison cell doing five years for a pool hall burglary in which
about five dollars, several beers, and a few bottles of soda were stolen
.
How well did Gideon defend himself?
Gideon was convicted of breaking and entering the pool room, and stealing lots of drinks and money. How well did Gideon defend himself in his first trial in Panama City?
Not well because he had no lawyer, no evidence, he didn't know what to ask the witnesses, and he didn't know what to tell the jury
.
What was Gideon denied during his court proceedings?
Charged with breaking and entering into a Panama City, Florida, pool hall, Clarence Earl Gideon Gideon, was denied
his request that an attorney be appointed to represent him
. The Supreme Court reversed his conviction, holding that defense counsel is “fundamental and essential” to a fair trial.
How did the Supreme Court's Gideon decision change the law?
Decision: In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Gideon,
guaranteeing the right to legal counsel for criminal defendants
in federal and state courts. Following the decision, Gideon was given another trial with an appointed lawyer and was acquitted of the charges.
Why was Gideon's second trial not considered double jeopardy?
Wasn't this double jeopardy, which is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment? (Students should recognize that this was not double jeopardy
because he was found guilty at the first trial and he then appealed and won a new trial
.
What happened to Clarence Earl Gideon?
Clarence Earl Gideon
died of cancer on January 18, 1972
, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Hannibal, Missouri.
Why did the Court believe that Gideon?
Why did the Court believe that Gideon
could not defend himself
? The court felt that Gideon, as well as most other people, did not have the legal expertise to defend himself adequately in a criminal proceeding, and that legal counsel for a defendant is necessary to insure a fair trial.
Why is Gideon v Wainwright important today?
Gideon v. Wainwright made an enormous contribution to the so-called “due process revolution” going on in the Court led by Chief Justice Warren. Because of the ruling in this case,
all indigent felony defendants–
like many others charged with misdemeanors–have a right to court-appointed attorneys.
What was Clarence Earl Gideon convicted of?
Convicted of
breaking and entering in Florida
, Clarence Earl Gideon set a major legal precedent when he challenged his conviction, claiming that he could not afford an attorney and should have been appointed one by the court.
Did Gideon rob the pool room?
Arrest. On June 3, 1961, $5 in change and a few bottles of beer
and soda were stolen from the Pool Room
, a pool hall and beer bar that belonged to Ira Strickland Jr. Strickland also alleged that $50 was taken from the jukebox.
What did Gideon do?
Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiezrite clan in the tribe of Manasseh and lived in Ephra (Ophrah). As a leader of the Israelites, he
won a decisive victory over a Midianite army
despite a vast numerical disadvantage, leading a troop of 300 “valiant” men.
