Gideon's Trumpet
by Anthony Lewis
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 262)
No one today would argue against the fact that Gideon v. Wainwright had a positive impact on the legal system. People should have the right to an attorney and this book explains not only why, but also celebrates the fact that a poor prisoner could affect our law. In fact, "How one man, a poor prisoner, took his case to the Supreme Court-- and changed the law of the United States" sits over the title on the wonderfully designed cover of my edition of the book.
However, I got a strang...more
However, I got a strang...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
lawyers, those fascinated by justice and the mysterious supreme court
Often, I am discouraged with my profession. The slow-moving machinary of the judiciary is not perfect, but both Gideon and To Kill a Mockingbird remind me why I'm a lawyer. I wish I had read Gideon before starting my clerkship. For one reason, we had an entire right to counsel issue that I would have understood better after this book. Additionally, it discusses the role of a law clerk and how the judicial system works. Dude, this is more helpful than my staff attorney manual!
But most of a...more
But most of a...more
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Read in January, 2007
This book discusses the significance of a single case: Gideon v. Cochran, a 1962 case that overturned an earlier case (Betts v. Brady) and established that everyone had the right to an attorney for criminal cases, and if you couldn’t afford an attorney, it was the court’s obligation to provide you one. The book details the judicial context during which the case was argued, how it was argued before the Court, and why the particular arguments mattered. Overall, it’s a nice primer on how the...more
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Read in January, 2008
A dry, dated (think Warren Court, with issues of racial equality still in the center of national consciousness) account of the Supreme Court case Gideon v. Wainwright, regarding the right to counsel for the indigent.
The book was very informative - not hard to do, since I knew next to nothing about the case - but the author made arguments in the vein of The Inevitable Tide of History Was On Gideon's Side, so I was a bit skeptical. The book also ends with a high-falootin', shmaltzy chapter ...more
The book was very informative - not hard to do, since I knew next to nothing about the case - but the author made arguments in the vein of The Inevitable Tide of History Was On Gideon's Side, so I was a bit skeptical. The book also ends with a high-falootin', shmaltzy chapter ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
law geeks
Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis chronicles the landmark US Supreme Court decision, Gideon v. Wainwright, that finally established a defendant's right to counsel in criminal cases. The book summarizes the life of Clarence Earl Gideon, a chronic law-breaker from the gulf coast, who was convicted of petty larceny in Panama City, Florida. Lewis then describes the subsequent appeals and explains the relevant legal history leading up to Gideon's hand-written appeal to the US Supreme Court.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
those interested in law
A book discussing the landmark Supreme Court case, Gideon v. Wainwright, which guaranteed the indigent a right to counsel in all criminal cases. It discusses the people behind the case, such as Gideon - the man accussed, the method & process of bringing the case to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court decision. I think this book is best for those who have not gone to law school - if you have any knowledge of Con Law/Crim Pro/Supreme Court litigation, then this book is really really slow ...more
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Read in June, 2008
I read this because I'm trying to keep my post-law-school, pre-bar-exam brain from turning into gorgeous, laid back mush. It was great. It's very, very readable, with lots of relatively interesting descriptions of the facts leading up to the Gideon v. Wainwright case, and it includes lots of great information about how the inner gears of the Supreme Court turn. Some parts get a little turgid, but it's a book about a legal decision; what do you expect? I kind of wish they'd done a second edit...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who loved Dr. Money law classes.
This book so far is basically a Money class, so I love that... It is making me discover my love for law and the American judicial system all over again... or at least my interest... it is dry but full of wisdom and useful facts.
It describes the case that overturned Betts v. Brady, a trial that had earlier determined that not all people were entitled to representation in the court. Gideon, a poor uneducated man, was denied counsel in his case, convicted, and to prison... and he appealed this ...more
It describes the case that overturned Betts v. Brady, a trial that had earlier determined that not all people were entitled to representation in the court. Gideon, a poor uneducated man, was denied counsel in his case, convicted, and to prison... and he appealed this ...more
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Read in February, 2008
the little guy knows he's wronged and battles it all the way up to the supreme court--and wins! cue the overdramatic sports movie music.
and it wasn't a little guy, it was an old ex-con. and he wasn't really wronged, as the 14th amendment wasn't incorporated for state-level felonies except in special circumstances, bates v. brady. i'm not saying that's right, but it's true. that's why the case is famous. the book spends the opening chapters trumpeting its own goodness before actually making an...more
and it wasn't a little guy, it was an old ex-con. and he wasn't really wronged, as the 14th amendment wasn't incorporated for state-level felonies except in special circumstances, bates v. brady. i'm not saying that's right, but it's true. that's why the case is famous. the book spends the opening chapters trumpeting its own goodness before actually making an...more
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Read in February, 2008
The story of how it came to be in the USA that even the poorest person is guaranteed an attorney when charged with a felony crime. Written for the lay person, this book grabbed me and just would not let go. I read it in one afternoon and evening. It is written in simple language that anyone can understand, and gives insight into how cases develop after the guilty verdict is entered at the criminal trial through the decision of the Supreme Court. Especially intriguing insights into the way tha...more
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Read in January, 1998
recommends it for:
Law Students
Read for highschool legal studies course, inspired me to become a lawyer. Gideon's Trumpet is an eloquent and informative look at a very important story in the history of the United States legal system. Not only will it teach you about the evolution of the right to counsel from the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, but it teaches you much about the practices, intricacies and eccentricities of the Supreme Court and its members. This is considered essential and required reading for all law students. I...more
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This book is about the story behind Gideon v. Wainwright, one of the most important U.S. Supreme Court cases ever. This case ruled that the state was required to give defendants legal council, because they are either too poor to hire private legal council or because they do not want it. This is one of those books that makes me want to become a public defender and it reminds me of some of the good things in the U.S. justice system, despite all of its flaws.
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I read this book before I went to law school. It was supposed to be the inspiring story of how we all came to have the right to an attorney.
I thought it was dull and was actually the story of how a florida redneck who was arrested for burglary got in touch with a bunch of high powered attorneys with an agenda.
Appellate law is not interesting even when it is novelized.
I thought it was dull and was actually the story of how a florida redneck who was arrested for burglary got in touch with a bunch of high powered attorneys with an agenda.
Appellate law is not interesting even when it is novelized.
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Read in March, 2004
For people who don't understand why criminal defendants deserve constitutional rights, this book must sound a warning. This is true especially in light of the habeas corpus issues presented by the Guantanamo Bay detainees in cases like Hamdi v. Rumsfield and Hamdan v. Rumsfield.
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The account of Gideon v. Wainwright in which, through judicial activism, the Supreme Court determined that all defendants are entitled to counsel, whether they can afford it or not. It isn't particularly well-written but the case and its history was interesting.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2005
This is a great book for anyone who wants to know more about how our system of public defenders came to be in this country. It also gives some interesting insight into the internal workings of the supreme court system.
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A profile of the Supreme Court case (Gideon v. Wainwright) which established the right of indigent criminal defendants to have legal counsel. It was one of the required summer readings before I entered law school.
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About the case that finally established that everyone is charged with a crime is entitled to counsel. It was good for folks who like history of the law. Just a plain, poor man who fought to change the system.
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This is an excellent book for the layperson regarding the judicial process. Very inspiring about what one individual can accomplish, which pays tribute to the foundation of our country. Also a true story.
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Story of one of a Supreme Court case that fundamentally changed the US justice system. I would probably have been more psyched about this if I were some Rowan Smith law school type.
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