Can anyone help me on a power point Presientation on The Supreme Court Case Gideon v. Wainwright?

Answer 1

Presuming you are talking about Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963) you should first read the case itsself. Go to your local law library and ask the librarian to help you find the case. Its not a difficult case to read.

The book by Lewis called Gideon's Trumpet is also an excellent background on the case. It further explains the legal history behind the case, and the series of cases that led to this historic case.

In many senses, Gideon v. Wainright was the culmination of what can be termed "evolutionary law". The law, contrary to the wishes of some people, including apparently some US Supreme Court Justices, is not static. It changes over time and as the status of our republic changes. In the earliest times, it was held that the 6th Amendment to the Constutition guaranteed that an accused has the right to have an attorney represent him. It was, for more than half of our nation's history, held to require that a person could not be refused the right to hire his own attorney.

I won't go into the details of the case here. It is, however, quite fascinating, and I urge you to read Gideon's Trumpet. (Don't bother with the movie, the book is much better)

If you need more specific questions answered, email me and I will attempt to point you to more resources