A Conversation with Matthew Cutrona

by Isabela Barboza, 03/22/2024

"The Injustice of the Accused by the Accuser: 

The Aftermath of the Right to Counsel Prescribed by Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)"

This paper explores the current respect for the right to legal counsel as seen in the United States court system. Cutrona discusses the inequality that is present in the system, and offers remedies for said brokenness. 

The court systems are meant for justice. They are meant to provide a place for all people and organizations to seek the truth of situations in order to proceed correctly. 

The United States takes up this duty of justice in the right to legal counsel. Cutrona defines this as “a right, in accordance with the 6th amendment, of a criminal defendant to have a lawyer assist in their defense, most notably if they cannot afford to pay for an attorney.” He observed that it is often the case that the lawyers assigned to these defendants are “severely overworked, underpaid, and under-resourced;” thus calling into question the quality of the legal counsel for defendants as compared to prosecutors. Better said, there exists an injustice of the accused by the accuser.

 In light of this observation, when asked to write a piece on any supreme court case for his Politics 220 course, Matthew was drawn in by “arguably the most famous supreme court case [regarding] the courts,” namely, Gideon v. Wainwright. This case levels the playing ground between the defendant and the prosecutor, in order to provide an equal path to justice for all; or, as Matthew puts it, a starting score of “0-0.” The ruling has not maintained its promise, according to Cutrona, though. Instead, about sixty years after this decision the scales remain tipped in favor of the accuser. Cutrona confidently labels this imbalance as unjust and, thus, worthy of attention and advocacy. 

Importantly, this advocacy stems from a place of passion for Cutrona. He does not plan to leave this topic behind with its publication in the journal, but hopes to carry its weight into his future research and academic life. He proves his trustworthiness as an advocate by stating that he is dedicated to the matter for its own sake–the sake of justice. 

From this place of genuine care flows his desire for this piece to both educate and empower those who read it. Cutrona wants readers to leave “not with more questions than answers, but with more answers than questions.” For example, although Gideon vs. Wainwright is a common topic in schools across the United States, Matthew has reservations about how well it is understood. For this reason, he wrote his paper in such a way that a complex thing is simplified without “losing its meaning so we can be better well rounded in our education outside of the classroom.” As a result, readers can apply that which they learn to their own lives and the ways they take in information from readily available sources. Matthew is adamant that people are the ones who, through knowing more about the right to legal counsel, can stand up for that which is rightfully theirs. Cutrona is also grounded in knowing that this issue of imbalance counsel within the courts is not one that can be fixed quickly, but with proper care and attention there are real steps that can be taken towards its rectification. 

Through education deeper knowledge is attained and only then can we stand up for what we know to be true. The ruling in Gideon v Wainwright provides the knowledge that equal counsel is a right granted to all people. In knowing this law, the people of the United States can live fully the freedom granted to them–a freedom that comes from the fruit of the labor of those who came before. 

Author of “The Injustice of the Accused by the Accuser: The Aftermath of the Right to Counsel Prescribed by Gideon v. Wainwright (1963),” Matthew is a Junior Politics major with a double minor in Sports Management and Philosophy from New York City, New York.

Read Matthew's piece, "The Injustice of the Accused by the Accuser: The Aftermath of the Right to Counsel Prescribed by Gideon v. Wainwright," in the upcoming issue of Inventio's Volume 9!