Courtroom sketch of Prospective Juror Jerry Braswell at Jack Ruby trial

Object number1997.053.0008

DateFebruary 1964 - March 1964

ClassificationsArt

Artist Charles Fisher

ObjectCourtroom sketch

Credit LineCharles Fisher Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

MediumPaper

Dimensions14 x 16 3/4 in. (35.6 x 42.5 cm)

Terms

Collections

DescriptionCourtroom pencil sketch on paper by Charles Fisher. The sketch shows a prospective juror and defense witness named Jerry Braswell during the trial of Jack Ruby in February or March of 1964. The sketch shows the figure seated at the witness stand wearing a suit. A microphone is positioned in front of him. The caption in the bottom right reads "Prospective Juror and possible defense witness, Jack Ruby Murder Trial, Dallas, Texas," and the caption "Jerry Braswell" is written in the upper right corner. The artist's signature: "C. Fisher" is at bottom right, underneath the figure. Charles "Chuck" Fisher was the art director at KRLD-TV in 1963. Fisher made the pencil sketches during the trial of Jack Ruby for KRLD-TV after the judge barred cameras from the courtroom.

Curatorial Commentary

Jury selection in the Jack Ruby trial took place between February 17 and March 3, 1964. During that two-week period, 162 prospective jurors were interviewed, which District Attorney Henry Wade informed the news media was not a Dallas County record. Of the 162 individuals interviewed for the Ruby trial, twelve were accepted, eighteen were challenged by the defense team, eleven were challenged by the prosecution, sixty-two were ruled out because they were against the death penalty, fifty-eight were ruled out because they held fixed opinions on the case, and one was excused due to illness. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator