As a matter of history... Gideon didn't in fact proceed pro se. The situation like this. Abe Fortas (who pled Gideon's case before the Supreme Court) asked two acquaintences in Florida to represent Gideon in the retrial. When they showed up, Gideon felt as if his counsel had been chosen for him w/o his consent. Being a rather independent minded kinda guy, he didn't like that and refused their services. Yes, he did then move to represent himself, but the judge (the same judge who had refused his earlier request for counsel) refused his request to proceed w/o counsel. Gideon then requested the services of a local lawyer he knew. That lawyer represented Gideon and Gideon was acquitted. The author of Gideon's Trumpet felt that Gideon had made a wise choice, because the local lawyer had local contacts and was able to dig up exculpatory information that someone from out of town probably wouldn't have been able to find.