What is the origin of the right to counsel in criminal cases in the US?
The origin of the right to counsel in criminal cases in the US can be found in the Bill of Rights, enshrined in the Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution: Amendment VI: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
