I was elected district attorney in 1950 and have been criminal district attorney of Dallas County since January 1, 1951.
Mr. Rankin. Have you handled many of the prosecutions of that county since that time?
Mr. Wade. Well, my office or I have handled all of them since that time. I have had quite a bit of experience myself. I have a staff of 41 lawyers and, of course, I don't try all the cases but I have tried quite a few, I would say 40, 50 anyhow since I have been district attorney.
Mr. Rankin. Do you have any particular policy about which cases you would try generally?
Mr. Wade. Well, it varies according to who my first assistant has been. It is varied. If I have a first assistant who likes to try cases, I usually let him try a lot and I do the administrative. At the present time I have a very fine administrative assistant, Jim Bowie, whom you met and I try a few more cases.
I guess I have tried four in the last year probably but two to five a year are about all the cases I try myself personally.
Mr. Rankin. Do you have any policy about capital cases as to whether you should try them or somebody else?
Mr. Wade. I don't try all of them. I try all the cases that are very aggravated and receive probably some publicity to some extent, and I don't try all the capital cases. I think we have had quite a few death penalties but I don't imagine I have been in over half of them, probably half of them.
Mr. Rankin. Do you remember where you were at the time you learned of the assassination of President Kennedy?
Mr. Wade. Well, they were having a party for President Kennedy at Market Hall and I was out at Market Hall waiting for the President to arrive.