Nonfiction Navigators discussion

In order for a civilized society to function properly, there must be laws regulating the influence of the government to ensure it does not overstep into the daily life of citizens. The Constitution, for example, has been the backbone of American society since its detachment from the monarchy in Britain. Only after 1791, when the Bill of Rights was ratified, were Americans guaranteed “certain inalienable rights” like the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Since then, times have changed creating confusion when understanding the laws written more than 200 years ago. The role of the United States Supreme Court is to interpret those laws and protect civil rights from being violated under the Bill of Rights. It is the highest court that serves as the last resort for justice.

Clarence Earl Gideon, a fifty year old white man, was searching for a last resort for justice when he filed for a Writ of Certiorari from his prison cell in the Florida State Penitentiary. He was recently charged and convicted of breaking and entering to commit a misdemeanor in the Bay Harbor Poolroom on June 3, 1961. Gideon was an easy target to pin this crime on based on his previous criminal record and frequent visits to that Poolroom. The only sealing piece of evidence in the trial was an unreliable eyewitness testimony that could have easily been refuted by a lawyer. Unfortunately, Gideon was too poor to afford a lawyer and, upon requested to the court, he was denied one. Consequently, he was convicted of a crime that for once, he did not do.

Thus begins the historic case of Gideon vs Wainwright: a fight for due process of law regardless of wealth and status. Though this book, Gideon’s Trumpet, written by Anthony Lewis, is based on this monumental case, that is not its sole focus. This book goes into great depths about the rich history of the Supreme Court the great responsibility it holds. It talks about the grueling process of how to get a case presented to the Supreme Court and what happens once a case makes it there.

I thought this book was very interesting and covered years worth of history and knowledge in just over 200 pages. The author clearly took the time to familiarize himself with all the necessary information to compile it into a sophisticated and thorough novel. It is very well written and goes into great depths about each topic encountered throughout the court’s proceedings. My one critique of this book is that it is difficult to follow at times. There are very complicated terms and procedures of the Supreme Court and it is hard to stay engaged during long chapters about those topics. It is not an easy read by any stretch but it is worth the time and energy for those readers captivated by history and law.