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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following falls into the category of "special circumstances" for those on trial?

2. In what city in Florida did Gideon reside?

3. Which of the following is NOT an area in which Abe Fortas is familiar?

4. Justices of the Supreme Court have a higher power than ____________________.

5. What is the question the Justices say is before them when deciding to hear Gideon's case?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what is Abe Fortas already known regarding influencing the Supreme Court to expand a certain ruling?

2. What is the premise of GIDEON'S TRUMPET?

3. Describe some of Gideon's bad childhood experiences.

4. What kind of power do the Supreme Court Justices have and how do some of them feel about it?

5. What is the typical course for a case to reach the Supreme Court?

6. What is the famous 1940s case whose precedent denied Gideon an attorney at his criminal trial?

7. How does Fortas learn more about Gideon during the months after he is appointed to represent him?

8. What is the famous case by which assigning attorneys to defendants is determined?

9. What major inadequacies does Fortas discover in the transcripts of Gideon's criminal trial?

10. What is the seeming difference between how the Supreme Court views indigence and how Gideon was treated in the lower court?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When reading Gideon's file, Abe Fortas is interested to know whether or not Gideon is a black man. Why would this have been an important fact? What was happening in the South in the 1960s that would have made Gideon's race a critical factor to his case?

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Bruce Jacob. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What is his primary motivation?

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study of Gideon. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What is his primary motivation?

(see the answer keys)

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