Which case guarantees the right to counsel for those who cannot afford an attorney?

• A. Miranda v. Arizona
• B. Hazelwood v. Kulmeier
• C. Gideon v. Wainwright
• D. In Re Gault

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that everyone has a right to legal representation in criminal prosecutions, even if they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. The landmark ruling establishing this is Gideon v. Wainwright, which held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel applies to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment. Because of this decision, states must provide an attorney to indigent defendants in criminal cases, ensuring a fair trial regardless of a person’s financial means.

Before Gideon, many defendants in state courts faced trials without counsel. The Court’s decision changed that, prompting the creation of public defender systems and making legal help a standard part of due process in criminal prosecutions nationwide.

Other cases address related but different aspects. One focuses on the right to have an attorney during police interrogation, not on trial representation for those who can’t afford one. Another addresses freedom of speech in schools, not criminal trial rights. A third extends due process protections to young defendants in delinquency proceedings, including some right to counsel, but Gideon remains the foundational ruling that guarantees counsel for indigent defendants in general criminal cases across the states.