Abe Fortas

“ In our society, we reject the theory that the police may seize and hold a citizen incommunicado. This is fundamental to our constitutional system. I would think that a person, plucked from the streets and put in a cell, is entitled-as of right-to let his family know that he is in jail and to call for assistance. ”

“ Whether a prosecution for being 'found intoxicated,' subjecting the defendant to as much as 30 days imprisonment, is within the category of serious state criminal prosecutions to which the federal constitutional guarantee of assistance of counsel applies, under the decisions of this Court. ”

“ He demanded and was denied a jury trial. He also asserted that his rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution had been violated because he was denied counsel at the time of his detention and examination at the police station. These claims were denied, and judgment was entered that defendant was guilty of the crime of being 'found intoxicated.' Gen.Stat.Conn. § 53-246.
The maximum penalty for this offense under Connecticut law is a $20 fine or a jail sentence of 30 days, or both. Petitioner was sentenced to a fine of $20 and a jail sentence of 10 days. ”