Gideon’s Trumpet
Anthony Lewis
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1961–1963 · Panama City, Florida
Clarence Earl Gideon
Disputed justice
Photo credit
Florida State Prison / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain. Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
Unable to afford a lawyer, Clarence Earl Gideon defended himself against a Florida felony charge. His handwritten challenge reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that the constitutional right to counsel applies to indigent defendants in state felony prosecutions. He was acquitted at his retrial with a lawyer.
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The Story
When1961–1963
WherePanama City, Florida
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Gideon’s Trumpet (1980)
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Gideon v. Wainwright
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Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense
Clarence Gideon: History & Reflections — Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense
A public-defense organization reflects on Clarence Gideon’s story and the right to counsel.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsAnthony Lewis
Gideon’s Trumpet
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Movies & TV
Movies
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Film / television guide
Gideon’s Trumpet (1980)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
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Audiobooks
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Audiobook
Gideon's Trumpet: How One Man, a Poor Prisoner, Took His Case to the Supreme Court-and Changed the Law of the United States
Unabridged
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Edition checked 2026-10-12
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
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Film / television guide
Gideon’s Trumpet (1980)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
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U.S. Courts · educational podcast
Gideon v. Wainwright
A case-specific audio resource from the federal judiciary about the right to counsel.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
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Library of Congress · Free Article
U.S. Reports: Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963).
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Gideon's Trumpet
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
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Court & Files
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
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Constitutional ruling · U.S. Courts
1963: Gideon v. Wainwright
The Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to appointed counsel applies to defendants unable to afford counsel in state felony cases. The federal judiciary provides the case summary and procedural history.
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