Question

The excerpt below is from a summary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).

Answer 1

The correct answer is A) Criminal suspects are able to receive legal representation in court.

In the Gideon v. Wainwright case in 1963 was about Clarence Earl Gideon that was charged with a felony for burglarizing a pool hall. He requested a court-appointed attorney but it was denied, so he was unable to defend himself and was sentenced to five years in prison.

In this case, the Supreme Court decided that states should prove legal counsel to indigent defendants charged with a felony.  The denial of an attorney violated the 14th Amendment which guarantees the due process.