The Gideon Case

The complete history of the pivotal legal battle before

the Supreme Court that established the right to a public defender and reshaped

the American justice system, written by a lawyer closely involved in the case



The "Gideon" Case offers an

unparalleled inside view of the landmark Gideon v. Wainwright case, written

by Bruce Jacob, the assistant attorney general who argued the case for the

state of Florida in 1963. Gideon, who was charged with a felony, could not

afford a lawyer and had petitioned the US Supreme Court for his right to a

court-appointed lawyer. The court ruled unanimously in Gideon's favor, creating

the right to counsel for all indigent defendants facing criminal felony charges

in every state in the union.



From the details of Gideon's initial

arrest in Florida to the momentous ruling in Washington, this book presents a close

account of the courtroom scenes, constitutional debates, and personal

transformations sparked by one of the most consequential decisions in Supreme

Court history. After losing the case, Jacob, now in private practice,

immediately became a volunteer public defender, and for the next 55 years as a

law professor continued to provide free legal help to indigent defendants and

appellants in criminal cases. With behind-the-scenes accounts of key figures,

in-depth analysis of constitutional law, and a vivid portrayal of legal

practice 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.