Indigent Criminal Defense Research Guide

Created in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, this research guide collects sources related to the history, development, and current state of indigent criminal defense in the United States.

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Gideon v. Wainwright

The watershed mark in the history of indigent criminal defense in the United States is the Supreme Court's 1963 decision in Gideon v. Wainwright. The Court's holding that all criminal defendants had the right to be represented by counsel, even if they could not afford an attorney, marked the beginning of the due process "rights revolution" of the Warren Court.

Original Source Documents on Gideon