No. The Florida case against Gideon was for felony larceny, which involved a prison sentence but did not invoke the death penalty. Under Florida law, the state only had to provide court-appointed counsel to indigent defendants facing capital punishment, which is the reason Gideon was forced to represent himself at trial.
In the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963), the justices decided that all felony defendants have the right be represented by counsel, even if they couldn't afford to hire a lawyer.
He is a correction director
In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, one must be provided to him or her regardless of the defendant's ability to pay or the importance of the charges.
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963)The case was originally called Gideon v. Cochran, but Louie L. Wainwright succeeded Cochran as Secretary to the Florida Department of Corrections before the case was heard in the US Supreme Court.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Florida
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963)Justice Hugo Black delivered the opinion of the Court.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
The Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963) ensured indigent criminal defendants had access to a court-appoint attorney.
Gideon V. Wainwright (A+, Civics)
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963)Clarence Earl Gideon, a habitual petty criminal, was the petitioner/plaintiff; Louie L. Wainwright, Secretary to the Florida Department of Corrections, was the respondent/defendant. Wainwright's predecessor, H. G. Cochran, Jr., was the original respondent, but vacated office before the case reached the US Supreme Court.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Read Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963).
Gideon v Wainwright