Answer:
Clarence Earl Gideon was forced to represent himself in his own defense during his burglary trial. Gideon was charged with breaking into a Florida pool hall and stealing money from the vending machines. At the time of his trial, the right to counsel in a criminal trial applied only to capital cases, meaning that if you were facing the death penalty, you were entitled to a lawyer, but in other cases, defendants had to defend themselves.
Gideon did not have a lawyer and was forced to represent himself in court. Despite his best efforts, he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. However, Gideon did not give up. He filed a handwritten petition to the Supreme Court of the United States, arguing that his Sixth Amendment right to counsel had been violated. The Supreme Court agreed to hear his case and in its landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, the Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment guaranteed the right to counsel in all criminal trials, regardless of the severity of the charge.
This decision has had a lasting impact on the American justice system and has helped to ensure that all defendants, regardless of their financial situation, have access to a fair trial.