Which U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that defense attorneys must provide effective assistance of counsel?
Asked by: Alvis Hartmann | Last update: July 26, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (22 votes)
McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759, 771 n. 14 (1970). “[I]f the right to counsel guaranteed by the Constitution is to serve its purpose, defendants cannot be left to the mercies of incompetent counsel . . . .” 397 U.S. at 771.
What is the Supreme Court case for effective assistance of counsel?
The Supreme Court held in Strickland v. Washington that the proper standard for constitutional assistance of counsel is that attorney performance must be objectively reasonable given the totality of circumstances.
What is the Gideon v. Wainwright case about?
In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Gideon, guaranteeing the right to legal counsel for criminal defendants in federal and state courts. Following the decision, Gideon was given another trial with an appointed lawyer and was acquitted of the charges.
What happened in the Strickland v. Washington case?
Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984), was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the standard for determining when a criminal defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel is violated by that counsel's inadequate performance.
What Supreme Court ruling gives U.S. the right to a competent defense attorney?
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).
Effective Assistance of Counsel, Constitutional Standard
In which case did the Supreme Court rule that defendants must be provided legal assistance?
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963) In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court established that the Fourteenth Amendment creates a right for criminal defendants who cannot pay for their own lawyers to have the state appoint attorneys on their behalf.
What happened in Alabama v. Shelton?
Shelton. Alabama v. Shelton, 535 U.S. 654 (2002), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court upheld the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling that counsel (a lawyer) must be provided for the accused in order to impose a suspended prison sentence.
What was the Carson v Makin case about?
In Carson v. Makin, the Supreme Court held that Maine could not exclude sectarian schools from approval for the receipt of public funds for tuition purposes because they are sectarian.
What happened in the Alabama v White case?
The trial court denied the motion, and White pleaded guilty but reserved her right to appeal the denial of her suppression motion. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals held that the stop was unconstitutional because the officers lacked reasonable suspicion to make an investigatory stop of the car.
What was the result of the Bailey v United States case?
United States, 568 U.S. 186 (2013), was a United States Supreme Court case concerning search and seizure. A 6–3 decision reversed the weapons conviction of a Long Island man who had been detained when police followed his vehicle after he left his apartment just before it was to be searched.
What was the Court decision in Escobedo v. Illinois?
majority opinion by Arthur J. Goldberg. As soon as someone is in the custody of law enforcement, he or she has a Sixth Amendment right to speak to an attorney. In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Goldberg, the Court ruled that Escobedo's Sixth Amendment rights had been violated.
Why did the Supreme Court agree to hear Betts v. Brady?
In Betts v. Brady, Betts was indicted for robbery and upon his request for counsel, the trial judge refused, forcing Betts to represent himself. He was convicted of robbery, a conviction he eventually appealed to the Supreme Court on the basis that he was being held unlawfully because he had been denied counsel.
What happened to Clarence Gideon?
Gideon died of cancer in Florida on January 18, 1972. He was only 61 years old.
Which case established the right to the effective assistance of counsel _________________________?
Wainwright v. Torna, 455 U.S. 586 (1982) (summarily holding that defendant may not raise ineffective assistance claim in context of proceeding in which he had no constitutional right to counsel).
What did the Supreme Court case Florida v Royer establish?
Here, before Royer consented to the search of his luggage, the detention was already more intrusive than the Fourth Amendment allows on a mere suspicion of criminal activity. Because Royer's detention was unlawful, his consent to the search was invalid. The ruling of the Florida District Court of Appeal is affirmed.
What Supreme Court case extended the right to counsel beyond capital cases?
Faretta v. California | 422 U.S. 806 (1975) | Justia U.S. Supreme Court Center.
What did the Miller v Alabama case do?
The Court ruled on June 25, 2012, in Miller v. Alabama that it is unconstitutional to impose a life-without-parole sentence on a child under age 18 without considering the unique status of children and their potential for change.
What happened in the White v regester case?
White v. Regester helped the Civil Right Movement by upholding the rights to voting and equal representation guaranteed in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 14th Amendment. Following the ruling by the Supreme Court, Texas and other states in the South had to change their district maps.
Which of the following was a result of the case Kansas v. Glover?
Held: When the officer lacks information negating an inference that the owner is driving the vehicle, an investigative traffic stop made after running a vehicle's license plate and learning that the registered owner's driver's license has been revoked is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.
What was the significance of the Wilson v Arkansas case?
In Wilson v. Arkansas, the United States Supreme Court held that the common law "knock and announce" principle should be included in determining the reasonableness ofF ourth Amendment searches and seizures.
What was the decision in Engel v. Vitale?
6–1 decision for Engel
The state cannot hold prayers in public schools, even if participation is not required and the prayer is not tied to a particular religion. In an opinion authored by Hugo L.
Who won Braunfeld v. Brown?
In a 6-to-3 decision, the Court held that the Pennsylvania blue law did not violate the Free Exercise Clause. The freedom to hold religious beliefs and opinions is absolute; however, the freedom to act (even in accordance with religious convictions) is not totally free from government restrictions.
What happened in Norris v Alabama?
Decision. On April 1, 1935, an 8–0 Supreme Court decision authored by Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes reversed the conviction of Clarence Norris on the grounds that evidence proved that African-Americans were unlawfully excluded from the jury.
What was the case of Swain v Alabama about?
Swain, a black man, was indicted and convicted of rape in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, Alabama, and sentenced to death by an all white jury. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, in part, on the ground that there were no black jurors.
What happened in Hernandez v Texas?
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court extended constitutional rights to Mexican Americans in the landmark civil rights case Hernandez v. Texas. Before the ruling, Mexican Americans were officially classified as white but faced overt discrimination and segregation.