Clarence Earl Gideon, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Clarence Earl Gideon

American petty criminal, known for court case that all defendants must have counsel.

Date of Birth: 30-Aug-1910

Place of Birth: Hannibal, Missouri, United States

Date of Death: 18-Jan-1972

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Clarence Earl Gideon (August 30, 1910 – January 18, 1972) was a poor drifter accused in a Florida state court of felony theft.
His case resulted in the landmark 1963 U.S.
Supreme Court decision Gideon v.
Wainwright, holding that a criminal defendant who cannot afford to hire a lawyer must be provided one at no cost. At Gideon's first trial in August 1961, he was denied legal counsel and was forced to represent himself and was convicted.
After the Supreme Court ruled in Gideon that the state had to provide defense counsel in criminal cases at no cost to the indigent, Florida retried Gideon.
At his second trial, which took place in August 1963, with a court-appointed lawyer representing him and bringing out for the jury the weaknesses in the prosecution's case, Gideon was acquitted.