Based on your reading of this chapter and your research and reading of key right to counsel cases listed below, describe the evolution of the right to counsel by describing each of the following cases in your own words.

Right to Counsel

In this unit you discussed the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and how essential it is as a safeguard to ensure the constitutional rights of criminal defendants. Your reading assignment this week, Chapter 8 in the Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice digital book, describes the importance of the right to counsel and charts the history of case law in which the U.S. Supreme Court established the right to counsel for indigent criminal defendants.

Based on your reading of this chapter and your research and reading of key right to counsel cases listed below, describe the evolution of the right to counsel by describing each of the following cases in your own words. If you would like to quote a line or two to supplement your own explanations, be sure to use proper quotation marks.

For each case, provide a brief expository essay of the facts, describe the Court’s decision, and explain the Court’s reasoning (the reasons why the Court decided the way it did). Include in-text citations and references in APA 6th edition formatting. Visit the Purdue Global Writing Resources for more information on APA 6th edition formatting.

Your essay should have a viewpoint and purpose and should be clearly established and sustained. Your essay should also follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling). Your writing should be well ordered, logical and unified, as well as original and insightful.

The essay should include a title and reference page, using 12-point font and Times New Roman.

Each case summary should be at least two paragraphs and Assignment should be 3–5 pages in length total.

Powell v. Alabama, 287 U.S. 45 (1932)
Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458 (1938)
Betts v. Brady, 316 U.S. 455 (1942)
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
Argersinger v. Hamlin, 407 U.S. 321 (1972)

Your essay should consist of an Introduction, Summary of Key Right to Counsel Cases, and a Conclusion, summing up the step-by-step evolution of the right to counsel.

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