Opening Statements in Roger Clemens Trial
During his opening statement prosecutor Steve Durham showed jurors a photograph of several objects that included syringes, drug vials and three cotton balls – objects he said that had traces of both human growth hormone and Roger Clemens’ DNA. 
“Mr. McNamee saved needles and cotton balls that he used to inject Mr. Clemens – he never completely trusted this man,” Durham told the jury. Brian McNamee is Clemens former trainer, and now his chief accuser.
Clemens’ attorney Rusty Hardin, a colorful Texas lawyer who likes to remind the jury that he once lived in DC and saw Roberta Flack here, told the jury that the evidenced had to have been manufactured by McNamee. “They have no corroborating evidence of McNamee,” Hardin said, and after an exhaustive investigation “they still didn’t have anything to connect him to steroids except Brian McNamee.”
WaPo story here.
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.
