The Facts of Gideon v. Wainwright:
In 1961 in Florida, Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested and charged with breaking and entering (a felony crime). He didn't have enough money for a lawyer, and so asked the court to appoint one for him. Since Gideon was not charged with a capital offense, the judge refused to appoint a lawyer for him. He was tried and convicted of the crime. While in prison Gideon appealed to the Supreme Court saying that he was denied his right by not be appointed counsel.


If you are using CompuLEGAL to analyze Gideon v. Wainwright, you may also want to view a visual of the case.  Once you understand the conflict, proceed to the Analysis Page.

If you are only looking for case law, proceed to the Precedents Page.