Gideon v. Wainwright

Gideon only went to school until the 8th grade. When he was a teenager, he had left home.

Later in life, Gideon became a suspect in a Florida pool hall robbery. He was facing 1 year in prison.

Gideon asked the Florida to appoint him a counsel (lawyer) because he was indigent. Florida denied him a lawyer because he wasn't facing the death penalty. Consequently, Gideon represented himself. The jury sentenced him to 5 years in prison. '

Gideon submitted a writ of habeas corpus to the Florida Supreme Court claiming that his imprisonment was unlawful because he lacked counsel.

Under the 14th Amendment, do states have to provide indigent criminal defendants the right to counsel?

The 14th Amendment incorporates & applies the 6th Amendment right to counsel to the states.

Under the 6th Amendment, all federal defendants have the right to counsel, even if the government has to pay for it.