Celebrating a Key Supreme Court DecisionCelebrating a Key Supreme Court Decision

•In 2013, the nation marked the 50th anniversary of a key Supreme Court decision, Gideon v. Wainwright. In this watershed case, the court stated that the right to counsel was so important that states would thenceforward be required to provide it to anyone accused of a crime and unable to afford a private attorney. In its unanimous decision, written by Associate Justice Hugo Black, the court stated that a person brought into court could not be assured of a fair trial unless he or she received the benefit of legal representation.

•The court’s decision noted that the American system of justice is adversarial, meaning that government has the power and resources to assemble a strong prosecution against any defendant, with wealthier individuals capable of mounting a far more vigorous counterargument than those who are less affluent. Gideon v. Wainwright was one of a string of cases in which the Supreme Court interpreted the protections of the Sixth Amendment to afford greater rights to individuals charged with crimes. During this era, defendants also obtained the right to remain silent, the right to counsel during an interrogation, and the right to be informed of these rights.