Gideon's Army

This Sundance-winning documentary follows the personal stories of three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point.

Backed by mentor Jonathan “Rap” Rapping, a charismatic leader who heads the Southern Public Defender Training Centre (now known as Gideon’s Promise), Travis Williams, Brandy Alexander and June Hardwick struggle against long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads so common that even the most committed often give up in their first year. Nearly 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling Gideon vs. Wainwright that established the right to counsel, these courageous lawyers attempt to revolutionise the way America thinks about indigent defence – hoping to make “justice for all” a reality.

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