Gideon's TrumpetThis is a true story about Clarence Earl Gideon, a semi-literate drifter, who is arrested for breaking into a pool room and is accused of felony theft. When he asks the Florida state court to appoint a lawyer for his defense because he cannot afford one, his request is denied. Acting as his own lawyer, Gideon is convicted and sent to jail. While in prison, he begins a hand-written campaign directed to the U.S. Supreme Court, contending that every defendant is entitled to legal representation. The Court agrees to hear Gideon's case, and, in a landmark decision, rules in his favor. Gideon is given a new trial and is found innocent and U.S. legal history is changed forever. His case resulted in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), holding that a criminal defendant who cannot afford to hire a lawyer must be provided with a lawyer at no cost. |
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