How does the Sixth Amendment right to counsel affect law-abiding citizens? Federal judges and public defense attorneys discuss the significance of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).

1:11 – Where is the right to counsel found in the Constitution?
1:42 – What is the significance of the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Gideon v. Wainwright?
2:40 – What happens if you cannot afford an attorney?
3:20 – Does the right to counsel apply to minors?
3:39 – Why should you care about the right to counsel?

“The right to counsel is really the fundamental cornerstone of our justice system,” said U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman, of the Western District of New York. “Imagine a system of justice where you don’t have the right to a lawyer; where you can simply be accused of doing something wrong and taken right to prison.”

Also featured in the video are U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake, District of Maryland; U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins, District of Arizona; Federal Public Defender Kyana K. Givens, Massachusetts; Federal Public Defender Eric A. Vos, Puerto Rico; and Akin Adepoju, of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’ Defender Services Office.

“We cannot have a fair and equitable democracy if we don’t have a process to evaluate and challenge when someone is accused,” Givens said.

Learn about the Supreme Court landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright: https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-...

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