what was the basis for the gideon v. wainwright case?
THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE SECOND AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS Why was the Gideon v Wainwright case important? In Gideon v Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that if a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, one must be provided to him or her by the state government (this requirement alread â¦ y applied to the federal government).