GIDEON’S TRUMPET
PART II
GOVT
MR. HALL
1) When does Gideon’s attorney (Mr. Fortas) believe
that a lawyer should be provided by the state for
a poor criminal defendant?
2) Does he believe that even traffic offenders should
be allowed free lawyers provided by the state?
Explain.
3) Why does the Assistant Attorney General from Florida
(Mr. Jacob) argue that his state prefers “case-by-case
adjudication” by the Supreme Court to a hard and fast
rule regarding the right to counsel?
4) According to Mr. Jacob, how many convicts currently sitting in Florida
prisons were tried without lawyers?
5) What crime had Lester Wade committed in the past?
6) Why did Gideon occasionally tell the cab driver not to tell anyone that he
had seen him?
7) Where did Gideon say he got the change that he was carrying in his pockets
on the day he was arrested?
8) If Gideon wanted to get into the pool room, would he have to break in? Explain.
9) Who does Gideon’s lawyer (Mr. Turner) think broke into the pool room?
10) What is the verdict of the jury in Gideon’s second trial?
AFTER VIEWING: Compare Gideon’s first trial to his second. Explain some
specific differences that having a lawyer made to his defense.