On October first, at the investiture ceremony for Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the new Supreme Court, with the exception of Justice Kavanaugh had recently tested positive for COVID-19, assembled on the bench for the first time.
The new term began as usual on the first Monday in October but with Kavanaugh still absent from the bench but participating remotely by telephone.
Here are the sketches from October’s arguments:
By the second week of arguments Kavanaugh was back to participating in person.
Next Monday, November first, the justices will hear arguments in two expedited cases on Texas’ new law, SB8, enforcing abortion restrictions by bounty, and on Wednesday comes a Second Amendment appeal of New York’s gun carry law. It promises to be an interesting term for the new Court.
Courtroom sketching is a form of visual journalism or reportage drawing that is slowly dying out. Where once upon a time news organization each had their own artist covering a story, today a “pool” artist often sketches for all. It is a demanding and stressful discipline where the drawing is often done directly and under tight deadline.
After forty-five years of news sketching in courtrooms and congress I’m calling it quits. It’s been sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, almost always interesting. I’ve been lucky to work with some really great people. Don’t think I’ll miss it, but a little scared of not having a deadline.
While I won’t be sketching in court anymore, I may continue to post to this blog from time to time. Not sure what that might be. I’m about to start a new assignment documenting infrastructure and construction. Could be interesting.
