Which 1963 case determined that suspects were entitled to a lawyer (6th Amendment) even if they could not afford one?

Which 1963 case determined that suspects were entitled to a lawyer (6th Amendment) even if they could not afford one?

• A. Mapp v Ohio
• B. Miranda v Arizona
• C. Roe v Wade
• D. Gideon v Wainwright

Answer: (C)

The essential idea is that a fair trial requires access to legal counsel for someone facing criminal charges, even if they cannot afford an attorney. The 6th Amendment guarantees the right to counsel, and the Supreme Court has applied that right to the states through the 14th Amendment. In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, one must be provided at no cost. This decision overruled earlier limits and declared that the right to counsel is fundamental in criminal prosecutions, so the state must appoint an attorney for indigent defendants in felony cases. The other cases listed address different constitutional protections—Mapp v. Ohio concerns the exclusionary rule for illegally obtained evidence, Miranda v. Arizona deals with informing suspects of their rights during interrogation, and Roe v. Wade concerns abortion rights.

The essential idea is that a fair trial requires access to legal counsel for someone facing criminal charges, even if they cannot afford an attorney. The 6th Amendment guarantees the right to counsel, and the Supreme Court has applied that right to the states through the 14th Amendment. In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, one must be provided at no cost. This decision overruled earlier limits and declared that the right to counsel is fundamental in criminal prosecutions, so the state must appoint an attorney for indigent defendants in felony cases. The other cases listed address different constitutional protections—Mapp v. Ohio concerns the exclusionary rule for illegally obtained evidence, Miranda v. Arizona deals with informing suspects of their rights during interrogation, and Roe v. Wade concerns abortion rights.