Watch Gideon's Army

Gideon's Army is a documentary movie directed by Dawn Porter and released in 2013. The movie tells the story of public defenders in the United States who struggle to provide legal representation for their clients, despite being chronically underfunded, overworked, and marginalized. The movie's primary focus is on three public defenders from the South, Travis Williams, Brandy Alexander, and June Hardwick, who work for the Georgia Public Defender's Office. The film shows their day-to-day struggles as they try to provide the best possible representation for their clients, most of whom are indigent and face serious charges such as murder, rape, and drug trafficking.

The movie provides an intimate look at the lives of these public defenders, who are often the last line of defense for people who cannot afford a private lawyer. It shows how they have to deal with a broken criminal justice system that is more focused on punishment than rehabilitation and how they try to overcome the systemic bias against their clients, who are predominantly people of color.

Throughout the movie, we see how the public defenders grapple with the challenges of their profession, including a crushing workload and a lack of resources. They face enormous pressure to win cases, even though they have limited resources and support, and they often work long hours and weekends to ensure that they give their clients the best possible representation.

The movie also explores the personal lives of the public defenders, showing how their work affects them and their families. We see how the lawyers struggle to balance their responsibilities to their clients with their own needs for rest, leisure, and family time. We also see how they have to deal with the trauma and stress that come with working in a high-stakes legal environment.

One of the most powerful moments in the movie is when Brandy Alexander is interviewing a witness in a case. The witness, a young Black woman, tells Brandy that she is afraid to testify because she does not trust the legal system. She says that she has seen too many Black people being unfairly convicted and that she does not want to be part of that system. This scene highlights the distrust and fear that many Black people have towards the legal system and how public defenders have to work extra hard to overcome that.

Gideon's Army is a compelling documentary that sheds light on the underfunded, overworked, and underappreciated system of public defenders in the United States. The movie shows how these dedicated lawyers fight for their clients, even though they face enormous odds and are often maligned by society. It provides a sobering look at the criminal justice system, which is all too often focused on punishment rather than fairness and rehabilitation.

The movie is well-crafted and engaging, and the personalities of the public defenders are compelling and sympathetic. The movie does an excellent job of conveying the feelings of dedication, frustration, and hope that the public defenders experience, and it gives a voice to people who are often marginalized in society.

Overall, Gideon's Army is an important and thought-provoking movie that sheds light on a critical issue facing the United States criminal justice system. It shows the humanity and dedication of public defenders, who are often overlooked and underappreciated. The movie challenges viewers to think about what justice really means and how we can work towards a fairer and more equal society.

Gideon's Army is a 2013 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7 and a MetaScore of 87.