Clarence Earl Gideon was an American man who became famous for his role in a landmark legal case. In 1961, he was charged with a crime in Florida and could not afford an attorney. He requested that the court appoint one for him, but his request was denied based on the law at the time, which only provided for court-appointed counsel in capital cases. Gideon represented himself at trial and was convicted. He appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) that the right to counsel is a fundamental right under the Sixth Amendment. This decision ensured that defendants in criminal cases have the right to legal representation, regardless of their financial situation.