By: Abby Elmer
Assistant Appellate Defender Abby Elmer discusses the importance and impact of Gideon v. Wainwright on her personally and professionally. March 2023 marked 60 years since Gideon, a landmark case guaranteeing the fundamental right to counsel nationwide In it, the court upheld the ideals of the constitution and our legal system at its very best: that the government will protect people against itself, that it will provide services for people to defend themselves against the state. That even on our worst days we have a shared humanity that deserves a fundamental fairness at trial.
Read the full article in the WBAI Spring 2023 Newsletter on page 33.