Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: An excellent synopsis of how a poor man changed American Law forever
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Piece of Legal History
Review: As Lewis documents the events surrounding the case of Gideon v. Wainwright, perhaps the most important case of the Warren Court era, he provides us with an easy-to-read yet insightful look at the workings of the Supreme Court and the interaction, and sometimes tension, between the federal and state courts. Lewis also provides a thoughtful commentary on the legitimacy of rules that issue from the courts as opposed to those that issue from our legislatures and in doing so, he provides his reader with a perspective of the Court's role in our democracy. This book made everything I learned in law school all the more clear. It is a wonderful explanation of American criminal and constitutional law for those who have legal training and for those who do not. Both readers will find Gideon's Trumpet accessible but also intellectually challenging.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational story of how a poor man fought for his rights
Review: Clarence Earl Gideon was a poor prisoner in Florida who, one day, wrote a letter to the Supreme Court of the United States. His plea was a simple one. "I requested the court to appoint me an attorney, and the court refused," he explained.In "Gideon's Trumpet," Lewis presents an unparallelled account of the case Gideon v. Wainright, which resulted in a requirement for states to make Public Defenders available to all accused. Sparing no detail, he gives the reader a look into the lives of attorneys, Supreme Court Justices, and Clarence Earl Gideon himself. This inspirational novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered what it means to seek justice
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational story of how a poor man fought for his rights
Review: Clarence Earl Gideon was a poor prisoner in Florida who, one day, wrote a letter to the Supreme Court of the United States. His plea was a simple one. "I requested the court to appoint me an attorney, and the court refused," he explained.
In "Gideon's Trumpet," Lewis presents an unparallelled account of the case Gideon v. Wainright, which resulted in a requirement for states to make Public Defenders available to all accused. Sparing no detail, he gives the reader a look into the lives of attorneys, Supreme Court Justices, and Clarence Earl Gideon himself. This inspirational novel is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered what it means to seek justice
Rating: 
Summary: The true story of a man fighting for his right
Review: Clarence Earl Gideon would have been less than an historical footnote had he not written to the U.S. Supreme Court asking for, in essence, a "get out of jail free" card. Gideon, who would be a career criminal by contemporary definitions, was in a Florida jail for breaking and entering with intent to commit a misdemeanor. In his letter to the nation's highest court, Gideon wrote in pencil that his constitutional rights were violated when he was denied the right to have an attorney at his trial. In the end, the Supreme Court agreed with Gideon and reversed a prior decision to hold that people in Gideon's position (but not all accused persons) are entitled to the assistance of a lawyer and to have the state pay for one if necessary."Gideon's Trumpet" tells the story of one man's improbable battle and the Court's ultimate decision in his favor. Author Anthony Lewis has done a remarkable job of putting a human face (several, actually) on one of the landmark cases in criminal procedure and in making the story accessible to any adult regardless of a lack of formal legal training. In "Gideon's Trumpet," Lewis presents all of the characters as humans, not simply as people whose names later stand for legal rules (a la Miranda). "Gideon's Trumpet" also represents a ray of hope for those who think the legal system is solely the prerogative of the wealthy and politically connected, for here is the story of a virtual nobody who without the help of an attorney undertook a monumental process. In fact, "Gideon's Trumpet" might be a bit too optimistic. Written in 1964, the book could not have foreseen the subsequent studies that have shown that *Gideon v. Wainright* (the name of the case) has not substantially altered conviction rates. Still, the book tells a remarkable story quite well. Perhaps the highest praise is that this true story reads as a novel.
Rating:
Summary: The true story of a man fighting for his right
Review: Clarence Earl Gideon would have been less than an historical footnote had he not written to the U.S. Supreme Court asking for, in essence, a "get out of jail free" card. Gideon, who would be a career criminal by contemporary definitions, was in a Florida jail for breaking and entering with intent to commit a misdemeanor. In his letter to the nation's highest court, Gideon wrote in pencil that his constitutional rights were violated when he was denied the right to have an attorney at his trial. In the end, the Supreme Court agreed with Gideon and reversed a prior decision to hold that people in Gideon's position (but not all accused persons) are entitled to the assistance of a lawyer and to have the state pay for one if necessary. "Gideon's Trumpet" tells the story of one man's improbable battle and the Court's ultimate decision in his favor. Author Anthony Lewis has done a remarkable job of putting a human face (several, actually) on one of the landmark cases in criminal procedure and in making the story accessible to any adult regardless of a lack of formal legal training. In "Gideon's Trumpet," Lewis presents all of the characters as humans, not simply as people whose names later stand for legal rules (a la Miranda). "Gideon's Trumpet" also represents a ray of hope for those who think the legal system is solely the prerogative of the wealthy and politically connected, for here is the story of a virtual nobody who without the help of an attorney undertook a monumental process. In fact, "Gideon's Trumpet" might be a bit too optimistic. Written in 1964, the book could not have foreseen the subsequent studies that have shown that *Gideon v. Wainright* (the name of the case) has not substantially altered conviction rates. Still, the book tells a remarkable story quite well. Perhaps the highest praise is that this true story reads as a novel.
Rating:
Summary: Triumph of the Law
Review: Clarence Earl Gideon, petty thief, did at least two things right in his life. He preserved his record by requesting the appointment of a lawyer for him, and he filed a timely petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. Ironically, although the Florida courts denied Gideon legal represention, the Justices appointed Abe Fortas, soon to be one of their brothers, to argue his cause. His victory, forever establishing the right of the poor to counsel in felony cases in America, was one of the landmark cases of the Warren Court. As importantly, this book illustrates law at the human level. This is where practioners routinely encounter it. Cases studied in law school are sterile, stripping the humanity and drama from the litigants, and replacing them with rules of decision and conduct necessary for societal regulation. The distillation of fact contained within an appellate decision, even a landmark, pales in comparison to the human beings who create the cause. Anthony Lewis's book should point law students and young lawyers to the deeper lessons of practice. Law is about people; and we, as lawyers, are their servants.
Rating:
Summary: The system works!
Review: For those of us who believe that American constitutional law is about the most exciting and stimulating intellectual game, this book is a must. Lewis does a marvelous job and succeeds in maintaining the reader's passionate attention. The bottom line is that the system works, some times late, but it certainly works. I am looking forward to reading Lewis' other book on constitutional history: "Make no law", about the famous case of the New York Times in relation to the First Amendment. In any case, I'd recommend Gideon's Trumpet to all people who believe in the values embodied in the American Constitution. I intend to assign it as required reading in my criminal justice courses.
Rating:
Summary: The Road to the Supreme Court
Review: Gideon's Trumpet is a marvelous true story of how a poor man new in his heart his rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and fought for those rights, by himself from prison. It recounts the incredible events surrounding the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright. While beautifully describing the uphill battle that Clarence Earl Gideon faced, the author enlightens the viewer with the essential roles of the different branches of government and of the basic but crucial processes that they endure. A great book for anyone who has had any interest in the law or government. A must for law students.
Rating:
Summary: The Road to the Supreme Court
Review: Gideon's Trumpet is a marvelous true story of how a poor man new in his heart his rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and fought for those rights, by himself from prison. It recounts the incredible events surrounding the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright. While beautifully describing the uphill battle that Clarence Earl Gideon faced, the author enlightens the viewer with the essential roles of the different branches of government and of the basic but crucial processes that they endure. A great book for anyone who has had any interest in the law or government. A must for law students.
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