Criminal Justice the Case of Gideon Wainwright Essay

Criminal Justice the Case of Gideon Wainwright - Essay Example The Issue of the Case After being denied an attorney to fight his case, Gideon was sentenced to prison for five years. Gideon immediately filed a ‘habeas corpus’ petition, which was a petition claiming his release because of unjust trial and imprisonment. He sent this petition to the Supreme Court claiming that the conviction meted out to him was unconstitutional for the fact that his trial lacked a defense attorney. However, his petition was denied by the Florida Supreme Court and therefore Gideon once again appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States who reviewed his case in 1963. The Rule and reasoning of the decision After a unanimous decision was taken by the Supreme Court, Justice Hugo Black declared that Gideon’s trial and conviction were unconstitutional because according to the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, defendants have a right to an attorney even if they are charged with a serious offence and especially when they cannot afford it themsel ves.