Following the 1963 Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainright, all states began to provide legal representation to defendants in criminal cases that cannot afford to pay for their own lawyer. What basic freedom is this meant to protect, and how does it affect individuals who are defendants in criminal cases? Select one:
A. The protection against self-incrimination; it informs a defendant that they do not have bear witness against themselves.
B. The right to freedom of assembly; it allows a defendant to assemble a legal team to represent himself.
C. The right to freedom of speech; it allows a defendant to be able to represent themselves in a court of law.
D. The right to a lawyer; it allows a defendant to always be able to defend themselves in a criminal case.

D. The right to a lawyer; it allows a defendant to always be able to defend themselves in a criminal case.

Explanation:

The famous Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainright in 1963 was a case regarding a convict Clarence Earl Gideon, who had no legal representation and his pleas to be given a lawyer by the government. The ruling was in favor of Gideon and asked the state to provide a lawyer for the defendant.

According to the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, every citizen has the right to equal protection under the law. And the 6th Amendment also states that criminal defendants have the right to get representation even if they cannot afford one. So, in respect to these two amendments, the Gideon v. Wainright case touched both issues and thus, gave the defendant the right to be represented by a lawyer and also be given the chance to defend himself in any criminal case.

Thus, the correct answer is option D.

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