The Evolution of a Decision

By Jhill2528

  • Powell v. Alabama

    The Court in Powell v. Alabama(1932) ruled that the defendants had been denied the right to counsel.

  • Betts v. Brady

    The court ruled that appointment of counsel is not a fundamental right essential to a fair trial. Furthermore the court ruled that only under "special circumstances" would a poor defendant be entitled to a lawyer.

  • Gideon v. Wainwright

    The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Gideon.The court overturned the previous decision of only providing counsel under "special circumstances" in Betts v. Brady(1942) because they felt that the right to the assistance of counsel in felony criminal cases was a fundamental right and they wanted defendants to truly receive a fair trial.

  • Argersinger v. Hamlin

    The court ruled unanimously in favor of providing counsel for defendants charged with misdemeanors who faced the possibility of jail time.