January 15, 1963 | Attorneys appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court to argue the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright. ⚖️ The case began in Florida, where Clarence Earl Gideon, unable to afford a lawyer, was denied court-appointed counsel because his charge was not a capital offense. Forced to defend himself, Gideon was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. Following the trial, Gideon petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus to the Florida Supreme Court, claiming that his sixth amendment