Summary Of Gideon's Trumpet By Anthony Lewis

Book Review: Gideon’s Trumpet

Anthony Lewis’ book, Gideon’s Trumpet, explains the process by which criminal

defendants can have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford to acquire one. Written in

1965, Lewis’ story describes how Clarence Earl Gideon invoked the Fourteenth Amendment of

the United States Constitution, which says that every man has the right to counsel if accused of

crimes, to grant the right of people who cannot afford counsel that same right to be appointed

representation when they are committed of crimes. Because many defendants are unable to pay

for attorneys, this case was a significant change in the United States judicial system, and

Anthony Lewis tells the story very well, including providing a background

Accused of a

number of crimes that he feels he did not commit, including robbery at the Bay Harbor

Poolroom, Gideon wants to be represented by an attorney, but he cannot afford one on his own.

Because of this reality, Gideon faces the challenge of staying in prison without being able to

plead his own case. By studying the United States Constitution, Gideon realizes that he should

be able to have an attorney at his trial despite not being able to afford one. Lewis’ explains, “Or

not least, it might be a question arising under the Constitution - whether, for example, a man had

been convicted of crime in a trial so unfair that it could not be called 'due process of law.' That

was Gideon's case” (p. 15). Once he realizes that he has some foundation under the United States

Constitution, Gideon submits this request to the Supreme Courts twice – the first time incorrectly

and unsuccessfully – but after a second time, it reaches the Supreme Court, shedding light on the

fact that many prisoners do not have access to legal literature or any advice to defend themselves

whether or not they committed the crimes of which they were

There is also the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that accompanied that decision and

confirmed that due process and the rights of defendants needed to be improved in the United

States.

Based on the story, it is clear that there are a number of significant themes. The first and

most important theme of Gideon’s Trumpet is the right to justice. Gideon believes that in the

United States, especially as stated in the United States Constitution, that he has the right to an

attorney, and by being represented, he has the right to justice. The issue prior to Gideon’s

struggle and efforts is that justice is only available to the people who can afford it. Because it is

required to have access to legal literature or to be able to pay for an attorney, only those who

have money and access are able to seek justice. Gideon, who comes from humble means, is not

able to acquire the tools to obtain justice as easily as other more affluent defendants in the

criminal system. Therefore, the quest to prove that all men – not just men with money and access

– should have that right to justice is the central theme of the