"This book offers an unparalleled history of the pivotal legal battle that established the right to a public defender and reshaped the American justice system, written by the lawyer who argued and lost the case before the Supreme Court"--
The complete history of the pivotal legal battle beforethe Supreme Court that established the right to a public defender and reshapedthe American justice system, written by a lawyer closely involved in the case
The “Gideon” Case offers anunparalleled inside view of the landmark Gideon v. Wainwright case, writtenby Bruce Jacob, the assistant attorney general who argued the case for thestate of Florida in 1963. Gideon, who was charged with a felony, could notafford a lawyer and had petitioned the US Supreme Court for his right to acourt-appointed lawyer. The court ruled unanimously in Gideon’s favor, creatingthe right to counsel for all indigent defendants facing criminal felony chargesin every state in the union.
From the details of Gideon’s initialarrest in Florida to the momentous ruling in Washington, this book presents a closeaccount of the courtroom scenes, constitutional debates, and personaltransformations sparked by one of the most consequential decisions in SupremeCourt history. After losing the case, Jacob, now in private practice,immediately became a volunteer public defender, and for the next 55 years as alaw professor continued to provide free legal help to indigent defendants andappellants in criminal cases. With behind-the-scenes accounts of key figures,in-depth analysis of constitutional law, and a vivid portrayal of legalpractice in the early 1960s, this book is an essential read for historians,legal scholars, and anyone intrigued by the workings of the US justice system.
This book offers an unparalleled history of the pivotal legal battle that established the right to a public defender and reshaped the American justice system, written by the lawyer who argued and lost the case before the Supreme Court.
