Joe Tonahill Oral History
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Joe Tonahill Oral History
Videotaped oral history interview with Joe Tonahill. A longtime lawyer in Jasper, Texas, Tonahill served as one of Jack Ruby's main defense attorneys during his 1964 trial and the subsequent appeal process. He continued to be associated with the case until Ruby's death in 1967. Interview recorded at Mr. Tonahill's office on August 9, 1996 by Wes Wise and Bob Porter. The interview is one hour and five minutes long.
Joe Tonahill Oral History
08/09/1996
Hi-8 videotape
2 3/4 × 4 × 3/4 in. (7 × 10.2 × 1.9 cm)Duration: 65 Minutes
Oral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
1996.055.0014
Alongside his defense partner, flamboyant attorney Melvin Belli, lawyer Joe Tonahill (1913-2001) was one of the most colorful and frequently photographed personalities in the widely publicized Jack Ruby trial in 1964. In stark contrast to Belli, Tonahill exhibited a warm and folksy larger-than-life Texas charm that made him a favorite among journalists and photographers. Perhaps most notable was his brief yet blunt response to the guilty verdict on March 14, 1964: "It's a violent miscarriage of justice. I'm about to throw up!" During the trial, Tonahill was once fined $25 for throwing a pencil on the floor in anger. To much media fanfare, he dramatically paid the fine with a one hundred dollar bill. By searching "Tonahill" in the Museum's online collections database (Search tonahill (Objects) – Search – eMuseum (jfk.org), one can find a number of photographs and courtroom sketches featuring Joe Tonahill. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator
Joe Tonahill Oral History
Videotaped oral history interview with Joe Tonahill. A longtime lawyer in Jasper, Texas, Tonahill served as one of Jack Ruby's main defense attorneys during his 1964 trial and the subsequent appeal process. He continued to be associated with the case until Ruby's death in 1967. Interview recorded at Mr. Tonahill's office on August 9, 1996 by Wes Wise and Bob Porter. The interview is one hour and five minutes long.
Joe Tonahill Oral History
08/09/1996
Oral histories
Interviews
Jack Ruby trial
Attorney
Oswald, Lee Harvey
Ruby, Jack
Tonahill, Joe H.
Dallas
Jack Ruby (OHC)
Hi-8 videotape
2 3/4 × 4 × 3/4 in. (7 × 10.2 × 1.9 cm)Duration: 65 Minutes
Oral History Collection/The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
1996.055.0014
Alongside his defense partner, flamboyant attorney Melvin Belli, lawyer Joe Tonahill (1913-2001) was one of the most colorful and frequently photographed personalities in the widely publicized Jack Ruby trial in 1964. In stark contrast to Belli, Tonahill exhibited a warm and folksy larger-than-life Texas charm that made him a favorite among journalists and photographers. Perhaps most notable was his brief yet blunt response to the guilty verdict on March 14, 1964: "It's a violent miscarriage of justice. I'm about to throw up!" During the trial, Tonahill was once fined $25 for throwing a pencil on the floor in anger. To much media fanfare, he dramatically paid the fine with a one hundred dollar bill. By searching "Tonahill" in the Museum's online collections database (Search tonahill (Objects) – Search – eMuseum (jfk.org), one can find a number of photographs and courtroom sketches featuring Joe Tonahill. -- Stephen Fagin, Curator
Related objects
Photograph of courtroom sketch of Tonahill being held in contempt at Ruby trial
03/02/1964
Courtroom sketch of Jack Ruby and defense attorney Joe Tonahill dated 02/22/1964
02/22/1964
Photograph of courtroom sketch of Joe Tonahill during Jack Ruby trial
February 1964 - March 1964
Photograph of courtroom sketch of Joe Tonahill at Jack Ruby trial
03/13/1964
