Home > Great American Court Cases > Johnson v. Zerbst

Legal Citation: 304 U.S. 458 (1938)

Appellant
John A. Johnson

Appellee
Fred G. Zerbst, Warden, U.S. Penitentiary, Atlanta, Georgia

Appellant's Claim
That the court must appoint lawyers to represent indigent defendants in federal criminal cases.

Chief Lawyer for Appellant
Elbert P. Tuttle

Chief Lawyer for Appellee
Bates Booth

Justices for the Court
Hugo Lafayette Black (writing for the Court), Pierce Butler, James Clark McReynolds, Stanley Forman Reed

Justices Dissenting
Louis D. Brandeis, Charles Evans Hughes, Owen Josephus Roberts, Harlan Fiske Stone (Benjamin N. Cardozo did not participate)

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
23 May 1938

Decision
The Supreme Court held that counsel must be appointed for all defendants in federal criminal trials who...