Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

FRQ Prompt

In Betts v. Brady, Willie Betts was indicted for robbery in Maryland. He was unable to afford counsel and requested that the court appoint one for him. The trial judge denied the request, and Betts represented himself. The Supreme Court at the time held that the Fourteenth Amendment did not force states to provide counsel to indigent defendants in non-capital cases, arguing that the refusal of counsel did not necessarily violate the "fundamental fairness" required by the Due Process Clause.