which supreme court case interpreted the right to attorney

by Destiny Feil 8 min read

Gideon v. Wainwright

What are some Supreme Court cases involving the right to counsel?

Dec 29, 2016 · Wainwright (1963) and Escobedo v. Illinois (1964). In Gideon, the Court held that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to an attorney even for those who cannot afford it, and that this rule applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

What court cases apply the 6th Amendment to States?

Mar 03, 2022 · March 3, 2022, 7:16 AM PST. By Pete Williams. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Kentucky’s Republican attorney general can pick up the legal fight over a …

What are the most famous US Supreme Court cases?

Mar 03, 2022 · The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen January 24, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Kentucky’s Republican attorney general can step in …

What right to counsel was denied to the defendants in this case?

Apr 18, 2006 · On May 2, 1997 Zedner’s attorney, James Hagney, asked to be replaced as counsel because Zedner wished to assert that he believed that the counterfeit bonds were real and the court initially denied this request, choosing to appoint an attorney from the Federal Defender Division of the Legal Aid Society as advisory counsel, though ultimately Hagney was fully …

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What Supreme Court case gives the right to an attorney?

Gideon v. WainwrightWhen the Supreme Court first recognized a constitutional right to counsel in 1963 in its landmark ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright, the justices did not require states to provide any particular remedy or procedure to guarantee that indigent defendants could fully exercise that right.Dec 20, 2021

What did Gideon v Wainwright establish?

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.

How did Gideon v. Wainwright get to the Supreme Court?

Gideon sought relief from his conviction by filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Florida Supreme Court. ... The Court agreed to hear the case to resolve the question of whether the right to counsel guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution applies to defendants in state court.

Who represented Wainwright in Gideon v. Wainwright?

The decision did not directly result in Gideon being freed; instead, he received a new trial with the appointment of defense counsel at the government's expense. 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.

What was the issue in McCulloch v. Maryland?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Issue: Can Congress establish a national bank, and if so, can a state tax this bank? Result: The Court held that Congress had implied powers to establish a national bank under the "necess ary and proper" clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Why is the 14th amendment important?

The Court held that, under the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause, states may only restrict abortions toward the end of a pregnancy, in order to protect the life of the woman or the fetus. Importance: Roe has become a center-piece in the battle over abortion-rights, both in the public and in front of the Court.

Why are Miranda warnings important?

Importance: The now famous "Miranda warnings" are required before any police custodial interrogation can begin if any of the evidence obtained during the interrogation is going to be used during a trial; the Court has limited and narrowed these warnings over the years. Tinker v.

Which amendments abolished slavery?

In reaching these answers, the Court, interpreting the Constitution as it existed before the Civil War Amendments (Constitutional Amendments 13, 14, and 15) abolished slavery, concluded that people of African descent had none of the rights of citizens.

What is the role of the federal government in commerce?

Result: The Court held that it is the role of the federal government to regulate commerce and that state governments cannot develop their own commerce-regulating laws. Further, the Court created a wide definition for “commerce,” reasoning that the term encompassed more than just selling and buying.

Do segregated schools violate the Equal Protection Clause?

Issue: Do racially segregated public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause?#N#Result: Yes. A unanimous Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and held that state laws requiring or allowing racially segregated schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court famously stated "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."#N#Importance: The Brown decision is heralded as a landmark decision in Supreme Court history, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) which had created the "separate but equal" doctrine. In Plessy, The Court held that even though a Louisiana law required rail passengers to be segregated based on race, there was no violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause so long as the accommodations at issue were "separate, but equal." By overturning this doctrine, the Brown Court helped lay the ground for the civil rights movement and integration across the country.

Does the Constitution require that any individual charged with a felony, but unable to pay for a lawyer,

Issue: Does the Constitution require that any individual charged with a felony, but unable to pay for a lawyer, be guaranteed the free assistance of legal counsel?#N#Result: Yes, according to a unanimous Supreme Court. The Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to assistance of counsel applies to criminal state trials and that "lawyers in criminal court are necessities, not luxuries."#N#Importance: Along with the right to assistance for state criminal defendants, the Gideon decision had the effect of expanding public defender systems across the country.

Issues

First, could Zedner waive his right to a prompt trial under the Speedy Trial Act, and, second, assuming a violation of the Act actually occurred, was the Second Circuit justified in excusing the violation as harmless error because it did not prejudice Zedner?

Questions as Framed for the Court by the Parties

1. Whether, in light of the statute's text and Congress's goal of protecting the public interest in prompt criminal trials, the requirements of the Speedy Trial Act may be waived only in the limited circumstances mentioned in the statute, the issue left open in New York v. Hill, 528 U.S. 110, 117 n.2 (2000).

Facts

During March 1996, Jacob Zedner tried to open an account with several financial institutions using a fake $10 Million bond issued by the fictitious “Ministry of Finance of U.S.A.” U.S. v. Zedner, 401 F.3d 36, 39 (2nd Cir. 2005) [hereinafter “Zedner III”].

Analysis

Central to the Court’s determination of whether or not a defendant should be able to waive his statutory right to timely trial is United States v. Mezzanatto. 513 U.S. 196 (1995). In Mezzanatto, the Court held that an individual may waive a statutory right unless there is an “affirmative indication of Congress’ intent to preclude waiver.” Id.

Discussion

The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution ensures that defendants in criminal prosecutions “shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial.” U.S. Const. amend. VI. Although the Supreme Court acknowledged that the right to a speedy trial is as “fundamental” as any of the Sixth Amendment rights extended to criminal defendants, Klopfer v.

Conclusion

At the heart of this case lies a right that the Court has frequently found difficult to define and enforce. On the one hand, it appears that the district court reasonably relied on Zedner’s waiver of his right to speedy trial when it ceased to record its findings for exclusion from the seventy day time limit.

What did the Supreme Court decide in the case of the defendants?

The Supreme Court of the United States. The defendants appealed their case all the way to the Supreme Court, alleging that their Sixth Amendment right to counsel had been denied. The Court agreed with them and reversed their conviction. In this case, the Court established that defendants have the right to have an attorney appointed for them by ...

What is the 6th amendment?

Sixth Amendment Court Cases. Prior to 1932, the Right to Counsel Clause was generally understood to mean that people could hire an outside attorney to represent them in court if they wanted to do so and if they could afford to do so. The clause was not understood in the context of which it is understood today, that is, ...

Which amendment guarantees a fair trial?

The Court held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial and, as such, applies the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In overturning Betts, Justice Black stated that “reason and reflection require us to recognize that in our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him.” He further wrote that the “noble ideal” of “fair trials before impartial tribunals in which ever defendant stands equal before the law . . . cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him.”

Why did the Florida Supreme Court deny Gideon's request for a court appointed attorney?

Lower Court Ruling: The trial judge denied Gideon’s request for a court-appointed attorney because, under Florida law, counsel could only be appointed for a poor defendant charged with a capital offense. The Florida Supreme Court agreed with the trial court and denied all relief.

What is the meaning of the case Betts v Brady?

455 (1942), held that the refusal to appoint counsel for an indigent defendant charged with a felony in state court did not necessarily violate the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court granted Gideon’s petition for a writ of certiorari – that is, agreed to hear Gideon’s case and review the decision of the lower court – in order to determine whether Betts should be reconsidered.

What was Gideon's crime?

He spent much of his early adult life as a drifter, spending time in and out of prisons for nonviolent crimes. Gideon was charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a misdemeanor, which is a felony under Florida law. At trial, Gideon appeared in court without an attorney.

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Marbury v. Madison

  • Issue: Who can ultimately decide what the law is? Result: "It is explicitly the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is." Importance: This decision gave the Court the ability to strike down laws on the grounds that they are unconstitutional (a power called judicial review).
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Mcculloch v. Maryland

  • Issue: Can Congress establish a national bank, and if so, can a state tax this bank? Result: The Court held that Congress had implied powers to establish a national bank under the "necessary and proper" clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Court also determined that United States laws trump state laws and consequently, a state could not tax the national bank. Importance: The Mc…
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Gibbons v. Ogden

  • Issue: Can states pass laws that challenge the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce? Result: The Court held that it is the role of the federal government to regulate commerce and that state governments cannot develop their own commerce-regulating laws. Further, the Court created a wide definition for “commerce,” reasoning that the term encompass…
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Dred Scott v. Sandford

  • Issue: In this pre-Civil War case, the question was whether Congress had the constitutional power to prohibit slavery in free territories. A second question was whether the Constitution gave African Americans the right to sue in federal court. Result: The 1857 Court answered no on both accounts: Congress could not prohibit slavery in territories, and African Americans also had no right to su…
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Schenck v. United States

  • Issue: Is certain speech, including sending antiwar pamphlets to drafted men, made in wartime and deemed in violation of the Espionage Act, protected by the First Amendment? Result: No. Although the defendant would have been able to state his views during ordinary times, the Court held that in certain circumstances, like this case the nation being at war, justify such limits on th…
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Brown v. Board of Education

  • Issue: Do racially segregated public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause? Result: Yes. A unanimous Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and held that state laws requiring or allowing racially segregated schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court famously stated "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Importance: T…
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Gideon v. Wainwright

  • Issue: Does the Constitution require that any individual charged with a felony, but unable to pay for a lawyer, be guaranteed the free assistance of legal counsel? Result: Yes, according to a unanimous Supreme Court. The Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to assistance of counsel applies to criminal state trials and that "lawyers in criminal court are necessities, not lux…
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Miranda v. Arizona

  • Issue: Are police constitutionally required to inform people in custody of their rights to remain silent and to an attorney? Result: Yes, the Court found that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments require police to inform individuals in custody that they have a right to remain silent and to be assisted by an attorney. According to the Court, if the police fail to do so, a criminal court judge …
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Tinker v. Des Moines

  • Issue: Does the First Amendment prohibit public school officials from barring students' from wearing black armbands to symbolize anti-war political protest? Result: According to the Court, yes. The Supreme Court held that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech…at the schoolhouse gate." Consequently, the Court found that the students' speech coul…
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Roe v. Wade

  • Issue: Does the Constitution prohibit laws that severely restrict or deny a woman's access to abortion? Result: Yes. The Court concluded that such laws violate the Constitution's right to privacy. The Court held that, under the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause, states may only restrict abortions toward the end of a pregnancy, in order to protect the life of the woman o…
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