DALLAS, TX – July 10, 2017: America watched as Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy, was shot point-blank by Jack Ruby on November 24, 1963, at the Dallas Police headquarters as he was being transferred to the Dallas County Jail. This was the first murder broadcast live on American television. In the emotional aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, Ruby’s case was rushed to trial. Held just months later, Ruby’s trial was hailed by news media as “the trial of the century.”
Furnished with newly released documents from the original prosecution file, Judge Brandon Birmingham and criminal defense attorney/former Dallas County assistant district attorney Toby Shook will present a case study of this remarkable courtroom drama at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.
The Assassin’s Assassin: A Case Study of the Jack Ruby Trial will include a chronological overview of the case, an analysis of the defense strategy and verdict and a viewing of rarely seen select artifacts from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office original Ruby collection. This fascinating program offers 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education Credits and is open to both attorneys and the general public.
The program will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27 on the Museum’s seventh floor. Tickets are $20, and advance purchase is recommended at jfk.org.
About Judge Brandon Birmingham
Judge Birmingham graduated from R.L. Turner High School, Baylor University and South Texas College of Law. He was elected Judge of the 292nd Judicial District Court, a felony trial court, in November 2014. He is currently the Presiding Judge of the Criminal District Courts Dallas County. Prior to taking the bench, he was a Chief Felony Prosecutor in the trial division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. In addition to being the Chief of the Cold Case Unit, he was the lead prosecutor in three death penalty cases. He tried two cases with the Conviction Integrity Division wherein two men were exonerated through DNA evidence, and the two true perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to life in prison by juries. Outside of the courtroom, he has been a national and statewide lecturer in various areas of criminal jurisprudence, from search and seizure to ethics, and evidence to case studies. In total, he has presented over 50 hours of CLE in his career. Additionally, his work has been featured on A&E and the Discovery Channel, and he has been a featured legal commentator for local news stations.
About Toby Shook
Having tried over 300 jury trials, Toby Shook is known as one of Texas’ best criminal defense lawyers. He has been named to D Magazine’s list of Dallas’ Top Criminal Defense Lawyers for the past 10 consecutive years and was selected by his peers as a Texas Monthly Super Lawyer for 12 consecutive years.
Prior to becoming a criminal defense lawyer, Shook served more than 20 years with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, where he rose to the rank of Chief of the Felony Trial Division. He has tried some of Dallas County’s highest-profile cases, including the Texas Seven prison escapees, serial killer Charles Albright and the AMC Grand killer. He was assigned the Darlie Routier prosecution and served as one of two special prosecutors for the Kaufman Texas Prosecutor Murders. In 2002, he received the Texas District and County Attorneys’ Association Lone Star Award for the best prosecutor in Texas as well as Texas Lawyer Magazine’s Go-To Prosecutor award.
Contact Information
Laurie Ivy | Marketing and Communications Manager
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
lauriei@jfk.org
Direct: 214.389.3046
Judge Brandon Birmingham
Judge – 292nd Judicial District Court
Presiding Judge – Criminal District Courts
brandon.birmingham@dallascounty.org
214.653.5882
Toby Shook
Shook & Gunter
tobyshook@tobyshooklaw.com
214.850.9229
Twitter @toby_shook
About the Museum
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F. Kennedy; interprets the Dealey Plaza National Historic Landmark District and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza; and presents contemporary culture within the context of presidential history.
Located at 411 Elm Street in downtown Dallas, the Museum is open Monday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Audio guides for the permanent exhibit are included with admission and available in six languages, including ASL. For more information, visit jfk.org or call 214.747.6660.