Gideon's Trumpet was an assigment for a government class this semester. At first I was skeptical about reading the book because I already had studied the case and knew the facts and findings of the case. I am so glad that I did read the book.
Here's the facts as it happened in the case. Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for misdeameanor charges. Gideon had a criminal record that included four felony charges, but all charges were for theft of some sort, never a violent crime. Gideon asked for an attorney to be appointed to him for the misdeamenor charges at trial, but was refused an attorney because he did not fit the "special circumstances" rule nor was he deserving of an attorney due to the fact that Gideon was on trial for a capital case. Special circumstances covered such reasons for needing an attorney as mental illness, illiteracy, or being a juvenile. Mr. Gideon did not make a claim to any of the above reasons, so he was denied an attorney.
Due to the denial of an attorney, Mr. Gideon was forced to represent himself at trial. For these misdeamenor charges Gideon was sentenced to serve five years, this sentence was more appropriate for a felony charge. While a prisoner in the Florida State Prison System, Gideon took the law into his own hands so to speak and filed his writ of certoiri to ask the court to hear his claim about being denied his due process rights because he was denied an attorney at trial.
The writ that was sent to the State Supreme Court was denied, then Gideon petitioned the Federal Supreme Court. He writ was allowed and he was given an attorney and retried. His attorney for retrial was Abe Fortas, who was later appointed to Supreme Court Justice.
Mr. Gideon was found innocent of the charges and set free, but what Gideon's petition to the Supreme Court did establish is that every person convicted of a crime would be granted an attorney, even he could not afford one.
The book is a great book in that instead of just babbling on about how writs are handled by the Supreme Court, the author Anthony Lewis takes the book step by step with the Gideon case, making it less tedious to read and more understandable.

Recommended: Yes