reply to this question post:

The 6th Amendment specifically addresses the rights of the accused to counsel during a trial. State-appointed counsel, for example, must be appointed for someone charged with a felony if that person makes a request for counsel and cannot afford that counsel via other means. How has the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963) evolved over the years, and how effective are the public defenders that exist to assist in this manner?