Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright. (See the Facts and Case Summary from www.uscourts.gov, and for more information click here.)
On March 18, 1963, the U.S. Supreme court held that the Sixth Amendment requires that indigent criminal defendants have the right to an attorney regardless of their ability to pay.
Sixty-two years later, we refer to this anniversary as “Defender Day.” We honor the ruling that would lead to the development of the robust public defense system in our state that we know today. Criminal defense work in North Carolina and our state’s charge to uphold the Sixth Amendment are realized because of the tremendous work done every day by this community of dedicated lawyers.
For this, we want to say, “Thank you.” IDS will continue to fight for resources and support for those of you engaged in this critically important and challenging work.