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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is a legal document submitted to the Supreme Court from anyone who may have something helpful to add to a case?
(a) Federal Affiliation.
(b) Amicus Curiae.
(c) Good Neighbor.
(d) Goodwill.

2. When the Supreme Court ruled that federal defendants must have lawyers, a ________________ took over in place of any official body creating and funding a system that would work.
(a) State committee.
(b) Task force.
(c) Caucus.
(d) Non-system.

3. Why was the Betts case able to prevail in 1942?
(a) The Civil Rights Law was not voted in.
(b) People were more concerned about going to war.
(c) There was no Supreme Court then.
(d) America wasn't ready for the tenets of Gideon vs. Wainwright at that time.

4. Who writes a legal brief in support of Gideon after Walter Mondale's letter is circulated?
(a) General Johnson Hall.
(b) General Gerald A. Berlin.
(c) General Dwight Eisenhower.
(d) General George Patton.

5. What amazes Jacob about appearing in the Supreme Court?
(a) The quality of the furniture.
(b) The huge number of people present.
(c) The courtroom cameras.
(d) The informality of the proceedings.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many other states sign Berlin's legal brief?

2. What is the next issue following the Supreme Court's ruling in Gideon's favor?

3. Who is the new director of the Florida prison system during Gideon's Supreme Court trial?

4. What type of payment do most appointed attorneys get?

5. Most prisoners currently jailed without the benefit of an attorney do not have which of the following characteristics that Gideon possesses?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Justice Harlan's simple statement that overturns Betts vs. Brady?

2. How do Fortas and Jacob differ in their perceptions of Supreme Court procedure?

3. Before hearing Gideon's case, what are the Justices aware of regarding many of the cases they hear?

4. How could Gideon vs. Wainwright overthrow the Betts vs. Brady decision that was enacted just 20 years prior?

5. What could be the reason that the Supreme Court Justices selected Fortas to represent Gideon?

6. What embarrassing statement does Jacob make in dialogue regarding Gideon representing someone else in court?

7. Compare and contrast the legal resources for Jacob representing states' rights and Fortas representing just one man.

8. What are a couple reasons that the Supreme Court works so well in terms of independent thinking?

9. What is the impact of the Gideon ruling regarding getting support for attorneys who are appointed to criminal cases?

10. What flaw does Fortas present in determining decisions on a case-by-case basis?

(see the answer keys)

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