Gideon v. Wainwright

SHARED FROM THE NYCBA's newsletter:

I thought this posting from Milton Hirsch' Constitutional Calendar would be enjoyed by all:

"In October of 1962, the United States Supreme Court appointed one of Washington’s preeminent lawyers, Abe Fortas, to represent an indigent defendant whose petition for certiorari to the Court had been granted. On Oct. 29, Fortas wrote a letter to his new client, asking for “a detailed biographical description.” Shortly thereafter he received a 22-page reply, written in pencil on lined prison-issue paper. It concluded with these words:

"'I have no illusions about law and courts or the people who are involved in them. I have read the complete history of law ever since the Romans first started writing them down and before the laws of religions. I believe that each era finds an improvement in law, each year brings something new for the benefit of mankind. Maybe this will be one of those small steps forward. In the past thirty-five years I have seen great advancement in courts in penal servitude. Thank your for reading all of this. Please try to believe that all I want now from life is the chance for the love of my children, the only real love I have ever had.

Sincerely yours, 
Clarence Earl Gideon"