Which case established the right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford one?

Which case established the right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford one?

• A. Miranda v. Arizona
• B. Mapp v. Ohio
• C. Gideon v. Wainwright
• D. Batson v. Kentucky

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford an attorney. Gideon v. Wainwright held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel applies to criminal trials in state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. When a defendant is indigent, the state must provide an attorney. This decision ensured a fair chance at trial because everyone has access to legal representation, not just those who can pay. It led to the widespread use of public defenders and court-appointed attorneys across the country. The other cases address different protections: one concerns police warnings during interrogation, another confirms that illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible, and another prohibits race-based peremptory strikes in juries.

The key idea is the right to counsel for defendants who cannot afford an attorney. Gideon v. Wainwright held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel applies to criminal trials in state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. When a defendant is indigent, the state must provide an attorney. This decision ensured a fair chance at trial because everyone has access to legal representation, not just those who can pay. It led to the widespread use of public defenders and court-appointed attorneys across the country.

The other cases address different protections: one concerns police warnings during interrogation, another confirms that illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible, and another prohibits race-based peremptory strikes in juries.