On April 21, 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court received a handwritten letter from a Florida inmate asking the Court to review his theft conviction. The 12-page letter argued that he had been denied his right to an attorney during his trial because he couldn't afford one. The Florida courts had decided that, even though he was indigent, the U.S. Constitution did not require that he receive a free lawyer, paid for by the state. Thus began the saga of Clarence Gideon and the eventual requirement that if a person could not afford a lawyer in a criminal case, a free lawyer would be provided for them. The Office of the Public Defender grew out of this case.
Judge Michael R. Muth is a 1972 graduate of Ohio University. While a student at OU he was on the speech and debate teams, winning the national championship in Impromptu Speaking in 1972. He graduated from law school at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1975 where he was a member of the Moot Court team.
Judge Muth has spent his entire legal career in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. For 28 years he was a Public Defender, 25 of those years as the county’s Chief Public Defender. He was the President of the Pennsylvania Public Defender Association for 2 years. He also engaged in the private practice of law as senior partner in the firm of Muth, Zulick and Worthington in Stroudsburg. He was elected Magisterial District Judge for East Stroudsburg in 2005 and twice re-elected. He retired at the end of his third term on Dec. 30, 2023.
The Third Thursday Lecture Series is free, but reservations are suggested due to limited space.
To reserve your spot or for additional information, please contact the Monroe County Historical Association office at
570-421-7703 or email admin@monroehistorical.org.
The presentation will also be recorded for those who are unable to attend in person. Look for the program on our YouTube channel following the event.