Question

What was the court’s majority opinion in Gideon v. Wainwright?

Answer 1

Answer:

The court unanimously ruled that the Florida state law providing legal counsel only for capital crimes was unconstitutional. This ruling also overturned a previous decision (Betts v. Brady, 1942), which had established the precedent that counsel would not be provided to poor defendants who were being tried at a state level.

The court opinion (written by Justice Black) states: “We think the Court in Betts was wrong, however, in concluding that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel is not one of these fundamental rights.”

Explanation:

direct answer from Edmentum

Answer 2

The court ruled in favor of Gideon and that states must provide attorneys to defendants who are not able to afford their own attorneys as required under the 6th Amendment.