The Historical Society of Bay County
Panama City, Florida
THE GIDEON v. WAINWRIGHT CASE
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(Click on picture to view site in Google Maps)
Marker
Location:
West front of Bay
County Courthouse, near McKenzie Avenue
County:
Bay
City: Panama
City
Description: This is the site of the landmark Gideon case, after which the Public
Defender system was established in Florida and throughout the nation. In
1961, Clarence Earl Gideon (1910-1972) stood trial in this courthouse
for the felony of burglary. Lacking funds to hire a lawyer, Gideon
requested that a lawyer be appointed to represent him at trial. Gideon’s
request was denied, because at that time, a person accused of a
non-capital felony did not have a constitutional right to a free lawyer.
Gideon represented himself at his trial and was convicted. While serving
his five-year prison sentence, Gideon petitioned the United States
Supreme Court to review his case. The Supreme Court issued its decision
in 1963 in Gideon v. Wainwright, ruling that every poor person charged
with a serious crime in this country must be provided a lawyer for his
defense at public expense. Panama City attorney, W. Fred Turner (b.
1922) represented Gideon at his retrial and won an acquittal. Built in
1914, this building is one of only a few original courthouses in Florida
still being used for its original purpose. A fire in 1920 gutted the
building, but it was immediately rebuilt in its Classic Revival
architectural style.
More information about the landmark Gideon v. Wainwright case is
available from
Wikipedia.