In 1963, the Supreme Court, in Gideon v Wainwright, ruled that every criminal defendant is entitled to a lawyer. 50 years later, the United States has not lived up to the great promise of the Gideon case. Although there are many dedicated, talented, and tireless defense lawyers working heroically in challenging conditions, the overall system has failed profoundly to provide adequate counsel for many defendants.
N-Map produced this short documentary for our wonderful client, the Constitution Project, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Gideon and to illuminate the current state of public defender systems. The goal of the piece is to commemorate Gideon's case, and show the long road ahead in fixing our broken criminal justice system. The film had its first screening at the Department of Justice, introduced by Attorney General Eric Holder, and will be screened at numerous venues around the country.