Gideon's Trumpet

Who is Justice Hugo Black from Gideon's Trumpet and what is their importance?

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Black was the Supreme Court Justice selected to write the assenting decision in Gideon's case. It's interesting to note that Black wrote the decision for the majority but that other Justices also wrote opinions. In most cases, additional opinions are only written by the Justices who dissent but that was not true in Gideon's case. This time, the other Justices agreed that Gideon's case should be upheld but did not agree with Black's reasoning for upholding the case. Black's arguments include the fact that the legal system is so complex that any defendant in a court case cannot be assured a fair trial without an attorney.