Tim was my boss. After a terrible personal tragedy just about exactly a year ago he was one of the first persons to come by my office, close the door, and offer some words of comfort.
I admired him and was proud to work for him. The sketch shows him on the witness stand during the Scooter Libby trial. He did an impressive job holding his own during two days of very aggressive questioning by Libby’s lawyer.
I will miss him.
Judge Reggie Jackson was not swayed by arguments made by Lawrence S. Robbins, a member of his newly formed appellate team of attorneys, seeking to allow Scooter Libby to defer serving his thirty month sentence until his appeals are exhausted.
Washington Post story here.
This sketch shows I.Lewis “Scooter” Libby standing, flanked by his attorneys, before Judge Reggie Walton as he receives his sentence: 30 months and $250,000.
Whether he starts serving his sentence in the near future or gets to remain free on bail until his appeals are exhausted will be decided by the judge next Thursday at another hearing.
Washington Post story here.
Lawyers for “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Cheney, Karl Rove and Richard Armitage today asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit by former covert CIA officer Valerie Plame and her husband, former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV for harm caused by the outing of Ms Plame in retaliation for Ambassador Wilson’s criticism of the White House case for invading Iraq. In the sketch above Valerie Plame is seated in the left foreground while Rove’s attorney, Bob Luskin makes his argument.
It’s hard to do justice, with pencil and paint, to Valerie Plame; she’s quite striking.
Here she is with her attorney, Duke law professor Erwin Chemerinsky (who is not quite so).
Washington Post story here.
The jury announced their verdict, guilty on 4 of 5 counts, shortly after noon. Libby, shown seated with his lawyers, betrayed no emotion. Left to right are: Alex Borrelli, foreground, Ted Wells, Libby, and William Jeffress.
Washington Post story is 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.
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