MEDIA ADVISORY
WHAT: The courtroom drama that never occurred now will be held live… featuring world-renowned JFK assassination experts.
History buffs and fans of courtroom drama will be treated to an insightful and entertaining mock trial, in which a Harris County judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys argue the landmark case: State of Texas v. Lee Harvey Oswald, using 21st century techniques in front of Harris County jurors.
Cosponsored by South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL Houston) and Citizens Against Political Assassinations (CAPA), the two-day event will include the delivery of opening and rebuttal statements, the testimony of world-renowned medical and legal experts, the analysis of actual evidence from the assassination — including information presented publicly for the first time, an evaluation of constitutional rights in 1963 and today, and a Q&A with participants and jurors following the program.
Photo Cutline:
Gus E. Pappas ’88, STCL Houston alumnus and prosecuting attorney in the upcoming two-day mock trial: State of Texas v. Lee Harvey Oswald, presents evidence to the Honorable Jay T. Karahan ’83, presiding Harris County Criminal Court judge and STCL Houston alumnus at South Texas College of Law Houston. The mock trial will occur Thursday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 17 at the law school.
WHO: Mock Trial Participants:
Judge:
- The Honorable Jay T. Karahan ’83, presiding judge, Harris County Criminal Court at Law, No. 8; and STCL Houston alumnus
Prosecuting Attorney:
- Gus E. Pappas, ’88, partner, Dabney & Pappas; and STCL Houston alumnus
Defense Counsel:
- Robert K. Tanenbaum, trial attorney, novelist, and former mayor of Beverly Hills, Calif.; former deputy chief counsel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations
- Lawrence P. Schnapf, Schnapf LLC; CAPA board member; New York-based environmental attorney; adjunct professor, New York Law School
- Bill Simpich, San Francisco-based civil rights attorney; author of “State Secret: Wiretapping in Mexico City, Double Agents, and the Framing of Lee Oswald”
Expert Witnesses:
Robert N. McClelland, M.D., member of the team of surgeons who worked to save President John F. Kennedy’s life at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963; professor emeritus, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center- Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., chair of CAPA; one of the nation’s leading forensic pathologists; former president, American Academy of Forensic Science and American College of Legal Medicine; member, Forensic Pathology Panel of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. (Dr. Wecht is shown in a file photo by Noel St. John describing to an audience at the National Press Club in March evidence that the Warren Report’s scientific basis and hence main conclusion were wrong.)
- Gary Aguilar, M.D., member, CAPA board of advisors; one of only a handful of non-government physicians allowed privileged access by the Kennedy family to JFK’s still-restricted medical and autopsy evidence housed at the National Archives; and ophthalmologist
- David W. Mantik, M.D., Ph.D., leading expert on the medical evidence in the JFK assassination; Palm Desert, Calif.-based radiation oncologist
- Michael Chesser, M.D., was granted permission by Sen. Paul Kirk, the Kennedy family representative for the Deed of Gift, to view the JFK autopsy cranial X-rays and autopsy photographs; board certified in neurology and clinical neurophysiology, with over 25 years of experience in clinical practice; former associate professor of neurology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Clifford Spiegelman, Ph.D., distinguished professor of statistics at Texas A&M University and author of over 100 scientific publications; author of the award-winning paper recognized by the American Statistical Association “Chemical and Forensic Analysis of JFK Assassination Bullet Lots: Is a Second Shooter Possible?”
- Lucian C. Haag, former criminalist and technical director of the Phoenix Crime Laboratory, with nearly 50 years of experience in the field of criminalistics and forensic firearm examinations; president, Forensic Science Services Inc.
- Donald B. Thomas, Ph.D., prolific author, including “The Acoustical Evidence in the Kennedy Assassination Revisited” and more than 100 scientific journal articles, book chapters, and books.
Ethics Panel:
The Ethics Panel will discuss obligations of prosecutors to examine new evidence or new science and compare custodial rights in 1963 and now.
- John T. Orr, former director of Criminal Enforcement, Justice Department’s Antitrust Division; in April 1995, he submitted to Attorney General Janet Reno a detailed report on the Dealey Plaza evidence, the results of a personal project, which led to the reopening of the JFK investigation for further scientific testing.South Texas College of Law Houston students, alumni, faculty members, and administrators, including:
- Donald J. Guter, president and dean
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 16 and Friday, Nov. 17. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
WHERE: South Texas College of Law Houston Garrett-Townes Auditorium, 1303 San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002
REGISTRATION: Walk-in registration accepted.
Cost: $450 | 10 CLE credits, including 3 CLE Ethics credits (Includes lunch both days)
$150 | No CLE credit
$75 | Live Stream, No CLE credit. Registration here:
PARKING: Attendees are encouraged to park in public garages near the law school in downtown Houston.
* PLEASE NOTE: Media are asked to RSVP to ccaton@stcl.edu to ensure parking access to the STCL Houston faculty/staff lot.
About South Texas College of Law Houston:
South Texas College of Law Houston was founded in 1923 and is Houston’s oldest law school. After 93 years, STCL Houston remains the only law school in downtown Houston, and boasts one of the most diverse and driven student bodies among the nation’s law schools. In the 2015-2016 academic year, South Texas enrolled more than 1,000 students, with more than 44 percent minority students. Throughout Texas and beyond, the law school’s more than 15,000 alumni hold leadership positions in the judiciary, small business, industry, and all areas of practice.
About Citizens Against Political Assassinations (CAPA):
Citizens Against Political Assassinations (CAPA) is a non-partisan research group that advocates for document release and other disclosures about notable political assassinations, including those of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. CAPA’s chairman Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D. is a prominent expert in forensic pathology, author, medical school professor and consultant. For details, visit capa-us.org.
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