The ruling in the case Betts v. Brady in 1942 had significant ramifications for criminal defendants. It held that a defendant, who was not able to afford a counsel themselves, will not be appointed a counsel by the state if they were prosecuted by the state, in contrast to a federal prosecution where a counsel is provided by the government if needed. This ruling was strictly followed until March 18, 1963, when it was overruled by Gideon v. Wainwright, in which all nine justices unanimously ruled that under the Sixth Amendment, a defendant charged in a state and federal level will be represented by a counsel, appointed by the state, if they were unable to afford one. This ruling leads to quick actions by numerous states, including Florida, to begin providing counsel for indigent defendants. …show more content…
His actions shaped how the judicial system in the United States worked. Gideon was a man that came from nothing. He was a 51-year-old man who had been convicted of four previous felonies, but none violent, and thus turned to crime in order to support himself because he was unable to settle down and work. Even when Gideon’s grammar was not perfect, his in forma pauperis would have ensured that future defendants, have a fair trial and would ensure that the progress of law continues to be altered, as needed, as time passes on.
Gideon's actions are said to be courageous. One that was small, but one that had enormous ramifications as a result of his now famous in forma pauperis. Written with pencil, which is usually not common practice, he wrote to the United States Supreme Court about this issue. Knowing that the nine justices actually only hear a small portion of cases brought upon them by many individuals, he still persisted and at the end, change court history with this issue with the United States Court