"Gideon's Trumpet"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the primary theme of Anthony Lewis' book "Gideon's Trumpet" and compares it to the outcome of the court-case "Gideon v. Wainwright", upon which the book is based. The paper discusses the rights of defendants in the United States, particularly their right to professional counsel, regardless of ability to pay. The paper also looks briefly at the power of judges in America.

From the Paper:

"Justice, and the work of the nine men (today, eight men and one woman) on the court, is not always about the will of the majority of the American people, it is often about the rights of the individual. A case that demonstrates this principle even more vehemently is that of "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka." In this instance, the school children of Topeka who were Black were denied the right to go to the same schools as their White counterparts, regardless of where they lived, the desires of their Black parents, or where their Black parents paid taxes. The will of the majority of the White residents held sway, until a dedicated band of activists and lawyers gave voice to the desire of the Black community to have equal rights for their children in Topeka."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka." 347 U.S. 483. 1954. [5 Dec 2006] <http://brownvboard.org/research/opinions/347us483.htm>
• "Gideon v. Wainwright." 1963. Source: 372 U.S. 335 (1963). [5 Dec 2006] <http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/67.htm>
• Lewis, Anthony. Gideon's Trumpet. New York: Vintage Reissue, 1988.

More papers on "Gideon's Trumpet":

• Book Review # 93844 : "Anthony Lewis' "Gideon's Trumpet"
• Term Paper # 117786 : "Gideon's Trumpet"
• Book Review # 119545 : "Gideon's Trumpet" and the 14th Amendment"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: