Across the nation last week, lawyers and judges got together to observe the 40th anniversary of Gideon's landmark case. But many lamented on another fundamental truth: Although there have been steady gains in some areas of legal representation for the poor, the promise of Gideon remains largely unfulfilled today.
In Georgia, indigent defendants are still herded through the criminal justice system without the benefit of a lawyer to assist them. In counties such as Coweta just southwest of Atlanta or Crisp in South Georgia, judges routinely instruct lawyerless defendants to talk directly with prosecutors and resolve their cases.

Source: AJC