The Trial of Jack Ruby

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1965. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. 8vo. Orig. russet cloth. 392 pp. [8] pp. B&W photos. Sunning to top edges. Slight age toning to interior. Dust jacket price clipped, age toned, with a few minor spots of edge wear. Near fine overall. Eighty million people saw Jack Ruby's astounding crime, and many freely predicted he would go scot-free. Now two distinguished young law professors, both former trial lawyers, tell the incredible story of the most publicized criminal trial in our history - a trial that, to the world's surprise, culminated in the death sentence for the slayer of Lee Oswald. The story ranges from low comedy to high tragedy, and the authors recapture the circus atmosphere of the Dallas courthouse. The explain the legal points at issue, describe the strategies of the attorneys, and bring to life the colorful characters - Melvin Belli, Joe Tonahill, Henry Menasco Wade, Bill Alexander, Judge Joe B. Brown, and others - who played roles in the drama. The two bail hearings, the battle over whether to move the trial from Dallas, the disorderly selection of the jury, the unprecedented insanity defense, and the impassioned closing arguments all from the background for a story that will entertain and inform lawyers and laymen alike.