Constitutional Minutes; Carpenter v. Dane County; 108

And. I. Am. The fifth sixth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution safeguard the rights of citizens accused of a crime. Among them is the right to counsel two cases separated by over 100 years and a thousand miles reaffirm the constitutional right. In 1859 the Wisconsin Supreme Court defined the duty of lower courts to provide counsel for those unable to pay. In this case for Philip Richardson citing the Constitution the court pointed out the mockery of a fair trial if the accused has no lawyer. In 1963 Clarence Gideon a poor man denied counsel during trial was convicted and sentenced to jail for robbery. The U.S. Supreme Court upon reviewing Gideon's case echoed the findings of the eight hundred fifty nine Wisconsin court the decision set a precedent for the right to counsel for the indigent. Gideon with an appointed lawyer was retried and acquitted. I'm Jim Doyle with the constitutional minute. Thank you.