Final answer:
In the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court found that the right to appointment of counsel was a fundamental right under the 14th Amendment. Betts was not awarded this right because his case happened before the Gideon decision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court, in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, found that the right to appointment of counsel was a fundamental right under the 14th Amendment. The Court held that the Constitution guarantees the right to counsel as a protection of due process, and this right must be provided by the states, not just the federal government. Therefore, Betts was not awarded this right because his case happened before the Gideon decision, which established the right to appointed counsel for felony defendants in state courts.