cases sufficed; that thousands of convictions would have to be thrown out if it were changed; and that Florida had followed for 21 years "in good faith" the 1942 Supreme Court ruling in Betts v. Brady. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Gideon's favor in a landmark decision on March 18, 1963. Second trial Although about 2,000 convicted persons in Florida alone were freed as a result of the Gideon decision, Gideon himself was not freed but was instead to receive a retrial. After the decision, Abe Fortas wrote to Gideon suggesting that a Florida lawyer represent him for his retrial in a Florida court. Fortas arranged for a lawyer from Miami who worked with the Florida Civil Liberties Union, and this lawyer also recruited a second Miami lawyer who was an experienced criminal lawyer. However, in the court of Judge Robert McCrary in Panama City, Gideon said he did not want the Miami lawyers. Asked who he wanted, he said he wanted local lawyer Fred Turner. Turner agreed, and the judge scheduled the retrial for one month later on August 5, 1963 (this would be five months after the Supreme Court decision). Judge McCrary also offered to release him on $1,000 bail, but Gideon could not raise the money. During the trial, Turner picked apart the testimony of eyewitness Henry Cook. Turner also brought out that Cook had lied in the first trial about not having a criminal conviction. And in his closing statement, Turner suggested that Cook had likely been the lookout for a group of young men who had stolen the beer and coins from the Bay Harbor Pool Room. (Turner had in fact been Cook's lawyer in previous cases.) Police Detective Duell Pitts referred to his notes and stated that the following had been stolen from the Bay Harbor Poolroom: 4 fifths of wine, 12 bottles of Coca-Cola, 12 cans of beer, approximately $5 from the cigarette machine, and approximately $60 from the juke box. All of the money was in coins. Detective Pitts stated that Gideon had approximately $25 of coins on him when arrested. Turner also received a statement from the cab driver who transported Gideon from the phone booth outside Henderson’s Grocery & Market to a bar in Panama City, stating that Gideon was carrying neither wine, beer, nor Coca-Cola when he picked him up, even though Cook testified that he watched Gideon