When Clarence Earl Gideon was accused of breaking and entering in Florida, he requested—but was denied—legal representation. Gideon was found guilty. On January 5, 1962, he submitted this petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn his conviction. The Court ruled that the 14th Amendment required the “assistance of counsel as a fundamental right essential to a fair trial” and sent Gideon’s case back to the Florida court.
This document is featured in the primary source-based student workbook “Putting the Bill of Rights to the Test.”
