Gideon, GIHD ee uhn, v. Wainwright was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the rights of accused persons. The court ruled that a state must provide legal counsel for anyone who is accused of a felony and cannot afford a lawyer. This 1963 decision overruled the 1942 ruling in Betts v. Brady. At that time, the court had decided that the right to a lawyer was not essential to a fair trial.