On Thursday, November 21st, my group went to the NYU School of Law to watch a movie about public defenders in the South. The film, “Gideon’s Army,” follows the lives of three public defenders in the South, Travis Williams, Brandy Alexander, and June Hardwick. Two of the public defenders are members of a group called Gideon’s Promise, again referring to the Gideon v. Wainwright Supreme Court ruling providing the right to counsel. The group provides mentoring and support for the public defenders, as they often must work long hours, have low pay, and have over one hundred cases at a time. The movie focuses on one specific case in each defender’s life, giving the backstory of each case, and then showing the preparation and hearing for the cases. There was a Q & A session with the director Dawn Porter after the screening, we did not stay for all of it but we hope to speak with Dawn Porter at some point. The way that these people look at their lives will certainly stay with me. Travis Williams saw his life as a challenge to be overcome, he put all of his wins on the wall of his house and got his losses tattooed on his back. Brandy Alexander saw her life a bit differently, she was very much affected by the low pay, and she explained that she was backed up on student loans and was struggling to get by.
