Gideon's Trumpet
...ime I have learned that nothing is as what it seems. We are telling our children to believe and trust in the justice system. We also tell our children that living in America is awesome. Unlike other countries we have a more simpler and better justice system. We also have freedom of speech. In which would be the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. However there are still cracks in our legal system as there were when Mr. Gideon was trying to get his case heard. Yet certain parts of the constitution affect that. When Mr. Gideon stood before a judge and asked to be appointed a counsel, he was basically told “no”. Mr. Gideon was a poor 51 year old who could not afford an attorney. His applications were not printed they were written with a pencil. ( even though it was carefully printed and neatly) He was had written two letters every week. After he filed a motion he was granted a hearing. He was just standing there time after time in the court room being denied of representation. Mr. Gideon wasn’t a bad man. In my opinion he was misunderstood. A petty thief never hurt anyone. As ridiculous as it may sound to some people it is the honest truth. That was his means of surviving that is all he knew. Steal, lie and jail. All through out his life. Mr. Gideon didn’t give up. My opinion is that it seems like they were violating the 14th amendment, in which no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process. In reading this book another thing became clear to me; nothing in life is black and white. From the way I remember or at least read we did not mean to have the wrong doing of freedom. I feel that Mr. Gideon was not given a fair chance. It is hard for me to comprehend would have continued to deny counsel to whoever else wanted to have their case heard. They should have changed this law a long time ago. Any person or persons who have committed a felony should have at least been granted counsel and a chance to plead their case without having to write letters after letters like Mr. Gideon. They should have given him counsel as soon as possible. It seems like they were trying to keep him in the system as they do now a days here in Michigan. However, that is a different story. When he stood there to plead his case in Court, I believe that allowing him to try and interpret the constitution in his own words was wrong. I feel they made him seem like a fool. When asked are you ready he replied no then was asked if he pleaded guilty he said no because I have no representation. That right there would have made me very upset. When the case did get the attention of the Supreme Court they then attempted to retry the case as they did in the first place. I felt it was nice that the judge let him make his opening stateme...