Not since PBS's "Presumed Guilty" (which I had the honor of being a part of) has there been a true and raw documentary depicting the work of a public defender.
The new documentary “Gideon’s Army” follows a group of young public defenders in the Deep South who contend with low pay, long hours and staggering caseloads to represent the poor. The film’s title comes from the landmark 1963 Supreme Court ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright that established the right to counsel to defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own attorneys. “Gideon’s Army” director and producer Dawn Porter, and Travis Williams, a Georgia public defender are featured in the film.
The feature documentary premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and will broadcast later this year on HBO.
