Gideon: Unfulfilled at 50

03/29/2013

Anthony Lewis's Trumpet

By Susan Herman, President, ACLU at 12:25pm

When I was invited to give a speech in Florida this month as part of a fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, the first thing I did, of course, was to pull out my tattered copy of Gideon's Trumpet, Anthony Lewis's superb and evergreen account of the story behind the Supreme Court case guaranteeing indigent criminal defendants a right to counsel.

03/19/2013

Gideon: Unfulfilled at 50

(Zealous, Properly-Resourced Defense) Lawyers for All!

By Tanya Greene, Advocacy and Policy Counsel, ACLU at 11:53am

"You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom."
Clarence Darrow, 1920

Yesterday, we honored the 50^th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case Gideon v Wainwright, in which the high Court held that a poor person facing criminal charges is entitled to counsel at the expense of the state. Fifty years after this decision, 80% of criminal defendants nationwide cannot afford their own lawyer. It's time to take stock of what we need to do going forward, as our Constitutional imperative to provide an adequate defense to those in need remains as pressing as ever.

03/18/2013

Gideon: Unfulfilled at 50

Gideon Real Stories Project: Massive Caseloads in Memphis, Tennessee

By Sarah Solon, Communications Strategist, ACLU at 5:05pm

We have all heard cops in Hollywood assure suspects that if they cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for them. But is this promise actually fulfilled for people in the real world? This blog series presents the real stories about the state of indigent defense fifty years after the right was first recognized in Gideon v. Wainwright.

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03/18/2013

Gideon: Unfulfilled at 50

Too Many Still Wait to Hear Gideon's Trumpet

By Vanita Gupta, Center for Justice & Ezekiel Edwards, ACLU Criminal Law Reform Project at 11:38am

Fifty years ago, 52-year old drifter Clarence Earl Gideon was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced without a lawyer to five years imprisonment for stealing bottled drinks and vending machine coins...

03/15/2013

Gideon: Unfulfilled at 50

"You Have the Right to an Attorney..." We All Know the Hollywood Version, But What's the Real Story?

By Sarah Solon, Communications Strategist, ACLU at 2:23pm

We all know this refrain, echoed time and time again by cops...

American Civil Liberties Union