All the while Mr. Cobb is standing near him smirking with a smile, thinking that now he's got all the evidence needed to charge Gideon for the crime at the pool room earlier that morning.
Gideons court case with the state of Florida was set up to be on August 4th, 1961. As the defendant, Clarence Earl Gideon and the plaintiff, the state of Florida were both at their correct seating the Judge called out, "You ready to go to trial state?"
The plaintiff calls out, "State is ready, your honor."
Then the Judge turns his attention to Clarence Earl Gideon as the defendant and asks him the same question except instead of Gideon saying he was ready Gideon replies to the judge saying, "I'm not ready your honor."
"Why aren't you ready?" the Judge inquires to know. …show more content…
The Judge answers Gideon with yet another question, "Why not? Didn't you know your case was set for trial today?
Gideon shakes his head and answers back, "Yes sir I knew"
"Why then didn't secure counsel and prepare to go to trial?" the Judge continues questioning.
"I don't have the money," Gideon replied as his voice lowers in tone.
Gideon raises his tone again making sure the whole courtroom hears him when he declares ever so bluntly, "I don't have any money." Then Gideon turns his head back at the Judge telling the Judge, "I want you to appoint somebody to represent me."
The Judge calls up Clarence Earl Gideon to the bench to make Gideon repeat what he said making sure he heard clear. "Now tell us what you said again so we can understand you please."
Gideon speaks up, "I want you to appoint a lawyer to represent me in this trial."
"Mr. Gideon I'm sorry but I can not appoint counsel to represent you in this case. Under the laws of the state of Florida, the only time the court can appoint counsel to represent a defendant is when that person has been charged with a capital offense."
"I'm entitled to a lawyer," Gideon calls