Gideon's Trumpet is a 1964 book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford it. In 1965, the book won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Fact Crime book. A made-for-TV movie based on the book was released in 1980, starring Henry Fonda as Clarence Earl Gideon and José Ferrer as Abe Fortas.
The name is a play on words, using the prisoner's last name and invoking the biblical story in which Gideon ordered his small force to attack a much larger enemy camp. Gideon's army carried trumpets and concealed torches in clay pots. When the call to attack came, the noise and light they made tricked their enemies into thinking that a much larger army was attacking them. Thus, Gideon won the battle with little actual fighting (Judges 7:16-22).
The movie was a Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation produced by Worldvision. It aired on CBS in 1980.
True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court's decision which extended this right to all criminal defendants. Written by Steve Walker
