DescriptionTranscript of the State vs. Jack Ruby: Statement of Facts: Jury Trial, Volume 8.
Melvin Belli, Joe Tonahill and Phil Burleson represented the defendant, Jack Ruby; Henry Wade, Dallas County District Attorney, was the prosecutor, assisted by Jim Bowie, Bill Alexander and Frank Watts. The presiding judge was Judge Joe B. Brown.
At 8 p.m. on March 13, 1964, the Court's Charge was read to the jury and the closing statements began. All seven lawyers spoke, starting with one for the State, alternating with one for the Defense, and so on, until the final two speakers were Melvin Belli and Henry Wade, in that order. Closing statements were concluded at 1:10 a.m. on March 14, 1964.
The transcript does not include a recounting of what happened when the jury returned: the jury found Jack Ruby guilty of murder with malice and sentenced him to death.
Transcribed by court reporters James J. Muleady and Shirley M. Stinebaugh as indicated in footnote on bottom of each page.
Transcript is a photocopy consisting of 167 pages. (Unlike typed transcripts, this photocopy has text on the front and back of all pages; typed ones only have text on the front.)
Typed text on the cover:
"No. E 4010-J
In The Criminal District Court No. 3, Of Dallas County, Texas. January Term, A. D. 1964.
The State of Texas
vs.
Jack Rubenstein
Alias Jack Ruby
Statement of Facts
Argument Of State And Defense Counsel
To The Jury, After Reading Of Court's
Charge To The Jury, Beginning At
8:00 P. M. March 13, 1964 And Concluded
At 1:10 A. M. March 14, 1964.
(Original).
Volume Eight"
At the bottom is a short printed statement:
"James J. Muleady
Official Court Reporter
2nd Floor Record Bldg. Annex
Phone Riverside 1-5624
Dallas, Texas"
Above the box, "3-7-9-0-0," was handwritten on the original document before it was photocopied.
Below the box, "Filed 4:56 pm (time handwritten), Nov 20 1964, Bill Shaw, Dist. Clerk, Dallas Co., Texas, [handwritten signature] Deputy," was also stamped on the original document.
Curatorial Commentary
Judge Joe B. Brown's charge to the jury and the defense and prosecution closing arguments ran past 1:00 in the morning on Saturday, March 14. That afternoon, after a deliberation of only two hours and nineteen minutes, the jury unanimously found Jack Ruby guilty of murder with malice and gave him the death penalty. That verdict was ultimately overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on October 5, 1966.
Immediately after the televised announcement of the verdict, as all decorum in the courtroom broke down amidst a frenzied rush of reporters and cameramen, defense attorneys Melvin Belli and Joe Tonahill expressed colorful opinions and angry criticism. From the Museum's KRLD-TV collection:
Belli: "I hope the people of Dallas are proud of this jury that was shoved down our throats…. Every Texas jurist knows this thing was the greatest railroading kangaroo court disgrace in the history of American law…. Why in a civilized country in the heart of darkest Africa you wouldn’t argue a man’s life starting at twelve o’clock in the morning. When I think that we’re coming into holy week and Good Friday, to have a sacrifice like this, I think we’re back 2,000 years. And the blight that’s on Dallas with those twelve people who announced the death penalty in this case, they’ll make this a city of shame forevermore."
Journalists then asked Texas native Tonahill his opinion. Tonahill pronounced: "It's a violent miscarriage of justice. (pause) I'm about to throw up." - Stephen Fagin, Curator
The Museum recorded oral histories with the following individuals named in this document: defense attorneys Joe Tonahill and Phil Burleson and Dallas County D.A. Henry Wade. - Stephen Fagin, Curator
In September 2017, Judge Brandon Birmingham and criminal defense attorney/former Dallas County assistant district attorney Toby Shook participated in a public program at the Museum in which they discussed and reenacted highlights of the Jack Ruby murder trial, including Belli and Tonanill's dramatic reactions to the guilty verdict. Titled "The Assassin's Assassin: A Case Study of the Jack Ruby Trial," this program is available on the Museum's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx3i8nxv-XY&t=776s - Lindsey Richardson, Curator of Collections
