Final answer:
The Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright established the right of indigent defendants to have court-appointed attorneys in felony cases at the state level, ensuring the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel is upheld for a fair trial.
Step-by-step explanation:
Supreme Court Decision on Right to Counsel
In the landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme Court held that the right to counsel in criminal cases extends to felony defendants in state courts, overturning previous court decisions on the issue. Prior to this ruling, many states did not provide legal counsel to indigent defendants unless it was a capital case. The 1963 decision mandated that states must appoint attorneys for defendants who could not afford to retain one, thus ensuring the Sixth Amendment's promise of the right to effective legal representation. Consequently, Clarence Earl Gideon, who was accused and convicted of felony without a lawyer in Florida, had his conviction overturned due to this significant Supreme Court decision.
This case has since impacted the criminal court system profoundly, establishing the principle that all defendants facing serious criminal charges deserve the right to counsel as part of a fair trial process, upheld by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The ruling resulted in an increased need for public defenders or pro bono representation from private attorneys, ultimately affecting the justice system at both state and federal levels.