Which landmark Supreme Court case recognized the right to counsel?

The landmark Supreme Court case that recognized the right to counsel is Gideon v. Wainwright. This case, decided in 1963, established that the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right to counsel, applies to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with a felony in a Florida state court. He could not afford an attorney and requested that the court appoint one for him. His request was denied based on the state law at that time, which only provided for court-appointed counsel in capital cases. Gideon represented himself during the trial and was convicted. He appealed the conviction to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that the right to counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial. Consequently, states are required to provide an attorney to defendants who cannot afford one in criminal cases.

This decision significantly expanded the rights of defendants, ensuring that everyone has access to legal representation, thereby reinforcing the principle of fair trial rights in the American legal system.