Release Date: July 1, 2013 (HBO)
Director: Dawn Porter
MPAA Rating: NR
Easily one of the most stressful and toughest jobs we have in this country is that of a public defender. With huge caseloads, little pay, and people’s lives on the line, it’s not a glamorous profession. You won’t see a public defender driving a nice sports car, or having billboards with their face plastered on them, but their role in our criminal justice system is much more noble, essential, and under-appreciated than any other. The toughest place to be a public defender is the American South, and that just so happens to be where Dawn Porter’s documentary Gideon’s Army takes place.
The title of the film refers to the landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright, in which it was ruled that all criminal defenders are entitled to proper council even if they cannot afford it. This occurred after a man by the name of Clarence Gideon was sent to prison for burglary after having to represent himself at his trial due to not being able to pay for an attorney.
Gideon’s Army provides a no-frills look at three young public defenders in the South, and paints an interesting, yet bittersweet portrait of their careers. It’s the type of documentary that let’s the footage tell the story, with only sparse bits of music, no narration, and only a few moments of onscreen text. It doesn’t feel preachy or like it’s trying to push an agenda. It’s very matter of fact in its content and it does well to put these people on the pedestal they deserve.
Though much of the film simply follows the day to day lives of these defenders, there is a special focus on two specific cases that they are working on. In addition to making the doc more engrossing and, at times, suspenseful, it helps us understand just how committed these individuals are to their clients. Most public defenders in the South are contending with 150-180 open cases at a time, so it’s incredibly impressive that they are able to devote that kind of attention to each person. That isn’t to say that all public defenders are as strong as the three featured in this film, but it seems like Porter hit the jackpot when it came to picking her focus.
The two main subjects of the film, Travis and Brandy, are young go-getters just out of college. They have piles of student loan debt and have to work tirelessly for pay that barely gets them by. In these two individuals it’s clear that this is something they truly love doing, which makes for an even more endearing film. It’s also interesting to see the toll this type of work has on them and the impact it has on their personal lives.
Gideon’s Army is a fascinating look at our criminal justice system and points out some of the glaring flaws within it that need to be addressed. More than that however, it recognizes the incredibly taxing work done every day by public defenders. They are the people that selflessly help those in the most need, regardless of the crime, and we can all be thankful for what they do.
