Gideon's Trumpet is a book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have a right to an attorney even if they cannot afford it.
In the related biblical story, Gideon ordered his small force to attack a much larger enemy camp. Gideon's army carried trumpets and concealed torches in clay pots. When the call to attack came, the noise and light they made tricked their enemies into thinking that a much larger army was attacking them. Thus, Gideon won the battle with little actual fighting.
The trumpet, pot, and torch form the emblem of Gideons International.
See also
Last updated: 05-18-2005 02:41:17
