who was clarence gideons lawyer

by Dr. Giovanny Jaskolski Jr. 10 min read

Did Clarence Gideon have a lawyer?

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear his case and assigned a lawyer named Abe Fortas to represent him. Fortas would go on to become a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. He argued on Gideon's behalf that all individuals accused of committing a felony should receive legal representation.

Who became the lawyer for Clarence Gideon?

W. Fred Turner
Gideon himself was not freed, but instead received another trial. He chose W. Fred Turner to be his lawyer for his retrial, which occurred on August 5, 1963, five months after the Supreme Court ruling.

Why was Clarence Earl Gideon denied a lawyer?

Lower Court Ruling: The trial judge denied Gideon's request for a court-appointed attorney because, under Florida law, counsel could only be appointed for a poor defendant charged with a capital offense. The Florida Supreme Court agreed with the trial court and denied all relief.

Who was Fred Turner in Gideon v Wainwright?

Wainwright overturned his first conviction. The story behind this case was told in Anthony Lewis's 1964 book Gideon's Trumpet. There was also a 1980 made-for-TV film called Gideon's Trumpet in which Lane Smith played Turner and Henry Fonda played Gideon.
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W. Fred Turner
Spouse(s)Helen Turner
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Was Gideon's trial unfair?

Gideon. His trial had been unfair because he had been denied the right to a lawyer. From that point on, all people, rich and poor alike, have been entitled to a lawyer when facing serious criminal charges in the United States. Mr.

Who was Gideon's lawyer in his second trial?

Fred Turner
Fred Turner. Fred Turner is the Bay County, Fla., criminal defense lawyer who represented Clarence Gideon at his second trial after the Supreme Court had ruled with Gideon and had remanded the case.

Why did the court believe that Gideon could not defend himself?

Why did the Court believe that Gideon could not defend himself? The court felt that Gideon, as well as most other people, did not have the legal expertise to defend himself adequately in a criminal proceeding, and that legal counsel for a defendant is necessary to insure a fair trial.

What is the significance of the Gideon v. Wainwright case?

In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution requires the states to provide defense attorneys to criminal defendants charged with serious offenses who cannot afford lawyers themselves.

What caused Miranda v Arizona?

The case began with the 1963 arrest of Phoenix resident Ernesto Miranda, who was charged with rape, kidnapping, and robbery. Miranda was not informed of his rights prior to the police interrogation.

What did the Supreme Court rule in Betts v Brady?

Later overruled by Gideon v. Wainwright, this decision held that defendants who cannot afford to pay a lawyer do not have the right to a state-appointed attorney.

How could an attorney have helped Gideon?

Gideon was unprepared and did not seem to have the legal training necessary to defend himself. A lawyer would have been more knowledgeable about the nuances of courtroom procedure and could have helped him by calling appropriate witnesses on his behalf and by challenging the prosecution's witnesses.Sep 22, 2020

Who testified against Gideon?

Fred Turner was competent, and then some. He not only destroyed the taxi driver's evidence against Gideon. He destroyed the chief prosecution witness, one Henry Cook, who said he had seen Gideon near the time of the break-in. Turner suggested to the jury that it was really Cook himself who had committed the crime.Apr 20, 2003

Who was the attorney for Clarence Gideon?

On June 25, 1962, the Supreme Court appointed Abe Fortas to represent Clarence Gideon in the case then known as Gideon v Cochran. 5 I was the attorney for the state of Florida in the case.

Did Clarence Gideon have a lawyer?

Clarence Gideon did not have a lawyer at his first trial, in 1961, but from that point on he had the very best representation that our legal system could provide. He was assisted in his case by the American Civil Liberties Union, 57 which was an amicus in the case, and by the attorneys general of 22 states, who filed an amicus brief in his behalf in the Supreme Court, 58 and by others including a law student 59 at the Arnold, Fortas & Porter firm. But the principal lawyers who represented him were Abe Fortas, Abe Krash, and W. Fred Turner. We should never forget their contributions to this historic case.

What color suit did Gideon wear?

He was wearing a brown suit, rather than the coat and tails worn by some lawyers who often appear in the Supreme Court. (I was wearing a dark blue suit.) He was in his early 50s, short and dapper-looking, with an unusual, deep voice. Anthony Lewis described him in the book, Gideon’s Trumpet:

Who was the circuit judge who tried Clarence Gideon?

Judge Robert McCrary, the circuit judge who tried Clarence Gideon both times, asked Gideon which lawyer he wanted. Turner was known as the best criminal defense lawyer in that area, and Gideon requested him. Turner was appointed to represent Gideon and was successful in obtaining the acquittal at the second trial.

Who represented Gideon in the second trial?

Turner was appointed to represent Gideon and was successful in obtaining the acquittal at the second trial. I met Fred Turner for the first time at a dinner meeting of the St. Andrew Bay American Inn of Court, in a restaurant on Panama City Beach, Fla. It was September 14, 2000.

Who was the lawyer that defended Gideon?

Turner did a masterful job of defending Gideon at the 1963 trial, thereby proving the truth of one of the underlying assumptions of the Supreme Court’s decision - that being represented by counsel in a criminal case makes a tremendous difference. Between 2000 and his death in November 2003, Turner and I became friends.

Who was the attorney for Gideon v. Cochran?

Between the time the case was argued (January 1963) and the time it was decided (March 1963), H.G. Cochran was replaced by Louie Wainwright. As the attorney for the state, I wrote a letter to the clerk, advising that this change had taken place, and when the opinion was released the case was called Gideon v.

Early life

Clarence Earl Gideon was born in Hannibal, Missouri. His father, Charles Roscoe Gideon, died when he was three. His mother, Virginia Gregory Gideon, married Marrion Anderson shortly after.

Arrest, conviction, and Gideon v. Wainwright

On June 3, 1961, $5 in change and a few bottles of beer and soda were stolen from the Pool Room, a pool hall and beer bar that belonged to Ira Strickland Jr. Strickland also alleged that $50 was taken from the jukebox.

Later life

After his acquittal, Gideon resumed his previous way of life and married for a fifth time some time later. He died of cancer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 18, 1972, at age 61. Gideon's family had him buried him in an unmarked grave in Hannibal.

Portrayal on film

Gideon was portrayed by Henry Fonda in the 1980 made-for-television film Gideon's Trumpet, based on Anthony Lewis' book of the same name. The film was first telecast as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame anthology series, and co-starred Jose Ferrer as Abe Fortas, the attorney who pleaded Gideon's right to have a lawyer in the US Supreme Court.

What was Clarence Gideon's case?

Convicted of breaking and entering in Florida, Clarence Earl Gideon set a major legal precedent when he challenged his conviction, claiming that he could not afford an attorney and should have been appointed one by the court.

What did Gideon petition for?

Claiming he had the right to an attorney, but could not afford one, Gideon petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus. After the Court denied Gideon’s petition, as a last resort, he submitted a handwritten petition to the Supreme Court of the United States for a writ of certiorari.

What did Gideon steal from the pool?

on the morning of the crime, Gideon allegedly smashed a window leading into the pool room and stole approximately a dozen bottles of beer, a dozen bottles of Coca-Cola, several bottles of wine, about $5.00 from the cigarette machine, and $60.00 from the jukebox. Police arrested Gideon on a tip given to them by Henry Cook, ...

Who was the guy who broke into the pool?

Gideon, a 50-year-old unemployed Caucasian with a long history of juvenile and adult felonies, was convicted of breaking and entering into the Bay Harbor Pool Room on June 3, 1961, in Panama City, Florida. At around 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the crime, Gideon allegedly smashed a window leading into the pool room and stole approximately ...

Who was Clarence Gideon?

Clarence Earl Gideon. Clarence Earl Gideon was a career criminal whose actions helped change the American legal system. Accused of committing a robbery, Gideon was too poor to hire a lawyer to represent him in court. After he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison, Gideon took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What was Clarence Gideon's role in the American legal system?

Clarence Earl Gideon was a career criminal whose actions helped change the American legal system. Accused of committing a robbery, Gideon was too poor to hire a lawyer to represent him in court. After he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison, Gideon took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a landmark legal decision, Gideon v.

What was Gideon v Wainwright?

Supreme Court. In a landmark legal decision, Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that under the U.S.

How old was Clarence when his mother remarried?

When Clarence was five years old, his mother remarried. He later remembered, “My stepfather never could accept me or I could not accept him. My mother was very strict and my life as a child was of the strict discipline.”. He described himself as someone who could not conform and “was miserable.

What happened to Gideon in 1928?

After starting out at two dollars a day, he was assigned a job at the factory that paid twenty-five dollars a day. When he lost his job in 1928, Gideon began committing crimes.

What was Gideon's job?

After starting out at two dollars a day, he was assigned a job at the factory that paid twenty-five dollars a day. When he lost his job in 1928, Gideon began committing crimes. He was found guilty of robbery, burglary, and larceny and sentenced to ten years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. He and his wife divorced.

What crimes did Gideon commit?

When he lost his job in 1928, Gideon began committing crimes. He was found guilty of robbery, burglary, and larceny and sentenced to ten years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. He and his wife divorced. After three years and four months in prison, he was paroled in January 1932.

Gideon Appeals

Gideon was outraged by the verdict, particularly the fact that he had been denied counsel. He applied to the Florida Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus, an order freeing him on the ground that he was illegally imprisoned.

Suggestions for Further Reading

The Guide To American Law. St. Paul, Minn.: West Publishing Co., 1984.

Who was Gideon's cellmate?

Gideon's cellmate was a former Palm Beach lawyer and municipal judge named Joseph A. Peel Jr., who was convicted of murdering a rival judge and his wife. 9 Jacob's source for that interesting tidbit was none other than his friend and colleague W. Fred Turner, the able attorney who represented Gideon at his retrial.

Was Gideon in prison?

Born august 30, 1910, in Hannibal, MO., Gideon had been in and out of prisons since he was 16. His father, a shoemaker, died when he was three, and his mother remarried.

When did Gideon go to jail?

Gideon asserted that right in open court on August 4, 1961, when he was put on trial for breaking and entering the Bay Harbor Pool Hall in Panama City, Fla. Forced to represent himself, he still pled not guilty and tried his best to defend himself. He was convicted.

Did Gideon and his stepfather get along?

Gideon and his stepfather did not get along, and he ran away from home at age 14, "accept [ing] the life of a hobo and tramp," making his way as far as California before returning to Missouri about a year later. 2. Gideon's mother introduced him to incarceration shortly after his return.

How many felony convictions did Gideon have?

Gideon had at least four felony convictions and a host of minor infractions and arrests on his record. He spent more than half of the next two decades behind bars, but he was also something of an escape artist. The first time he was locked up, at age 15, he escaped from the Hannibal jail.

How long was Gideon in jail?

In 1951, he was convicted of an unspecified crime in Texas and served 13 months. 6. In most of the prisons in which Gideon had done time, prisoners routinely filed appeals and petitions claiming, per Betts v.

How long did Gideon serve in prison?

In 1951, he was convicted of an unspecified crime in Texas and served 13 months. 6. In most of the prisons in which Gideon had done time, prisoners routinely filed appeals and petitions claiming, per Betts v.

How did Gideon get relief from his conviction?

Gideon sought relief from his conviction by filing a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Florida Supreme Court. In his petition, Gideon challenged his conviction and sentence on the ground that the trial judge’s refusal to appoint counsel violated Gideon’s constitutional rights. The Florida Supreme Court denied Gideon’s petition.

Why did the Florida Supreme Court deny Gideon's request for a court appointed attorney?

Lower Court Ruling: The trial judge denied Gideon’s request for a court-appointed attorney because, under Florida law, counsel could only be appointed for a poor defendant charged with a capital offense. The Florida Supreme Court agreed with the trial court and denied all relief.

What court did Gideon file a petition in?

The Florida Supreme Court denied Gideon’s petition. Gideon next filed a handwritten petition in the Supreme Court of the United States. The Court agreed to hear the case to resolve the question of whether the right to counsel guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution applies to defendants in state court.

What was Gideon's charge?

Gideon was charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a misdemeanor, which is a felony under Florida law.

What did Gideon do in his defense?

4. Put to trial before a jury, Gideon conducted his defense about as well as could be expected from a layman. He made an opening statement to the jury, cross-examined the State's witnesses, presented witnesses in his own defense, declined to testify himself, and made a short argument 'emphasizing his innocence to the charge contained in ...

Did Gideon testify himself?

Put to trial before a jury, Gideon conducted his defense about as well as could be expected from a layman. He made an opening statement to the jury, cross-examined the State's witnesses, presented witnesses in his own defense, declined to testify himself, and made a short argument 'emphasizing his innocence to the charge contained in ...

Which amendment guarantees counsel for indigent federal defendants?

316 U.S. at 471. It was for this reason the Betts Court refused to accept the contention that the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of counsel for indigent federal defendants was extended to or, in the words of that Court, "made obligatory upon, the States by the Fourteenth Amendment.".

Which amendment made counsel mandatory upon the states?

It was for this reason the Betts Court refused to accept the contention that the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of counsel for indigent federal defendants was extended to or, in the words of that Court, 'made obligatory upon the states by the Fourteenth Amendment'.

Which amendment requires appointment in all prosecutions for capital crimes?

Brady, 316 U.S. 455 (1942), that the Fourteenth Amendment requires such appointment in all prosecutions for capital crimes. The Court's decision today, then, does no more than erase a distinction which has no basis in logic and an increasingly eroded basis in authority. In Kinsella v.

What grade did Clarence Gideon go to school?

Clarence Earl Gideon had an eighth grade education and a long criminal history. He had been sentenced to prison for the fifth time. Upon his arrival he began to study law for long hours in the prison library. As the story goes, eventually, with a pencil and paper he scratched out an appeal to the United States Supreme Court that changed the American legal system when the Court decided his appeal in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright. Is that really what happened?

When did Gideon stand in court?

On August 4, 1961 Gideon stood in court and advised the judge that the United States Supreme Court said he had the right to a court appointed attorney. In Clarence Gideon: Unlikely World Shaker Jack King dates Gideon’s belief in that right to Missouri in 1928. That year, a Missouri court appointed an attorney for him when he was being prosecuted for burglary. Gideon was only 18.

Who was Gideon's cellmate?

According to W. Fred Turner, Gideon’s attorney at his second trial, Peel was Gideon’s cellmate and “stood over his shoulder as Gideon wrote and told him what to say.” There’s evidence that Peel did more than that.

What did Gideon say in court?

Gideon’s statement in court: “The United States Supreme Court says I am entitled to be represented by Counsel.” proved to be prescient. Convicted former Judge Joseph Peel, Jr. proved how important it is to have someone trained in the law on your team.

Who argued Gideon v. Wainwright?

A young Florida Assistant Attorney General, Bruce R. Jacob, argued the state’s case before the United States Supreme Court in the Gideon case. Since then Mr. Jacob has had a distinguished career in the law. He remains active 50 years later as Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law at Stetson College of Law. The Gideon case has remained part of his life. For the 40 th Anniversary of the Court’s decision Dean Jacob wrote: MEMORIES OF AND REFLECTIONS ABOUT GIDEON v. WAINWRIGHT. In September, 2013, for the 50th Anniversary Dean Jacob spoke about the case at the University of Florida Law School.

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Abe Fortas

  • Abe Fortas was the editor in chief of the Yale Law Journal. After graduation he served as a faculty member at Yale. He then went to work for the government during the New Deal. In 1946 he was a founding partner of Arnold, Fortas & Porter. It became a very prominent Washington, D.C., law firm. The firm today is known as Arnold & Porter. With offices in many cities and over 800 lawyer…
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Abe Krash

  • Abe Krash was a partner of Abe Fortas at Arnold, Fortas & Porter.20 He was the principal lawyer with Fortas on the brief in the Gideoncase. In their brief, the petitioners argued that a defendant in a criminal case cannot effectively prepare a defense and defend himself or herself at trial. Usually, an indigent is in jail and, therefore, is unable to investigate or question witnesses. Not trained in t…
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W. Fred Turner

  • Fred Turner is the Bay County, Fla., criminal defense lawyer who represented Clarence Gideon at his second trial after the Supreme Court had ruled with Gideon and had remanded the case. Judge Robert McCrary, the circuit judge who tried Clarence Gideon both times, asked Gideon which lawyer he wanted. Turner was known as the best criminal defense law...
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Conclusion

  • Clarence Gideon did not have a lawyer at his first trial, in 1961, but from that point on he had the very best representation that our legal system could provide. He was assisted in his case by the American Civil Liberties Union,57 which was an amicus in the case, and by the attorneys general of 22 states, who filed an amicus brief in his behalf in the Supreme Court,58 and by others includ…
See more on nacdl.org

Notes

  1. 372 U.S. 335 (1963).
  2. This information was obtained from Wikipedia.
  3. 214 F.2d 862 (D.C. Cir. 1954).
  4. Daniel McNaghten’s Case, 8 Eng. Rep 718 (1843). Under this test, to establish a defense based on insanity it must be proven that, at the time of committing the act the defendant was labori…
  1. 372 U.S. 335 (1963).
  2. This information was obtained from Wikipedia.
  3. 214 F.2d 862 (D.C. Cir. 1954).
  4. Daniel McNaghten’s Case, 8 Eng. Rep 718 (1843). Under this test, to establish a defense based on insanity it must be proven that, at the time of committing the act the defendant was laboring under...

A Conversation with Bruce R. Jacob

  • Bruce Jacob, who represented Florida before the U.S. Supreme Court in Gideon v. Wainwright, has handled countless pro bono cases during his career. In addition to writing a profile of Clarence Gideon’s lawyers, he agreed to answer a few questions about the case and about the state of indigent defense. The Champion: When you argued Gideon v. Wainwrightin the Supreme Court, d…
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