A Florida Historical Marker stands outside the Bay County Courthouse in downtown Panama City, commemorating the famous Gideon v. Wainwright case of 1963. The case resulted in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution gives defendants the right to counsel in criminal trials when the defendant is charged with a serious crime and cannot afford to hire their own lawyer.
The marker is featured in the self-guided Downtown Panama City Historic Walking Tour. An accompanying 12-page booklet contains historical interpretation and wayfinding for 14 historically significant sites nearby. The courthouse itself was built from 1914-1915, and although badly damaged by fire in 1920, it was rebuilt the following year. The structure is one of only five original Florida courthouses still in use.
