Which decision is foundational for the right to counsel based on the adequately funded defense for indigent defendants?

• A. Roe v. Wade
• B. Gideon v. Wainwright
• C. Texas v. Johnson
• D. Mapp v. Ohio

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is that having a lawyer is a fundamental part of a fair criminal trial, and the state must provide that lawyer if the defendant cannot afford one. In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, so defendants who cannot afford an attorney must be given one at public expense. This establishes that the defense must be adequately funded to ensure effective representation, not left to a defendant’s means. The decision overturned the older Betts v. Brady approach, which allowed some defendants to go without counsel depending on circumstances, and it solidified the principle that a fair trial requires state-supported legal defense for indigent defendants.