Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Abstract
In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court unanimously held that indigent state felony defendants are constitutionally entitled to the appointment of trial counsel. The opinion aroused wide support, and even enthusiasm, almost from the moment it was announced in 1963. Two and a half decades later this support has not diminished. However, are the words of praise only lip service to the noble idea of the right to counsel? Has Gideon really made a difference? Has its promise of a fair shake for poor criminal defendants been kept, or has Gideon meant only that defendants are provided with the fleeting and pressured presence of an unprepared lawyer? Moreover, does Gideon's extend beyond the initial criminal trial stage to other important quasi-criminal and civil proceedings?
Recommended Citation
Michael B. Mushlin, Gideon v. Wainwright Revisited: What Does the Right to Counsel Guarantee Today?, 10 Pace L. Rev. 327 (1990), http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/lawfaculty/466/.
Included in
Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Criminal Law Commons
Comments
Transcript of conference sponsored by the Legal Aid Society on Oct. 22, 1988 to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Gideon.