Gideon's Army

Synopsis

In 1963 the US Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright. The holding was simple: in felony cases people who cannot afford a lawyer must be provided one. Most states responded to the ruling by creating offices for public defenders to defend poor people charged with serious crimes. But Gideon's promise has not been fulfilled. Too many public defenders have become little more than speed bumps on an indigent's journey to conviction.