Here are the final sketches from the Trump impeachment trial, plus a few from the State of the Union the night before the final vote, created on assignment for the New York They appear with commentary on the NYT site here.
Correction: These are not actually the cubbyholes used by senators, those are in the cloakrooms.
These sketches of the Trump impeachment trial were created on assignment for the New York Times and appear, with commentary, on its website here.
The sketches below are from the previous week’s oath taking by the Senators and Chief Justice.
After just six days of testimony and closing arguments the fate of Roger Stone is in the hands of the jury this morning. It was an unusual trial from the start, but who would expect anything less when the defendant has a reputation for political dirty tricks going as far back as Watergate. He famously has the image of Richard Nixon tattooed on his back, after all. Nevertheless, in spite of a courtroom full of kooks, the trial progressed in an orderly and efficient manner. I wasn’t there every day, and unfortunately missed most of the witnesses’ testimony. Politico has a good story on the trial here.
Yesterday’s hearing before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on President Trump’s efforts to block a House committee’s subpoena for financial records is likely just the first skirmish in a lengthy battle to be fought in the courts.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s one-time campaign chair, who last week received a 47 month prison sentence from U.S. District judge T.S. Ellis in Alexandria, Va, today appeared in a DC courtroom to be sentenced by judge Amy Berman Jackson on two counts to which he pleaded last fall. Manafort sat in a wheelchair as he had during last week’s sentencing, but this time he was dressed in a dark suit and purple tie instead of a green “Alexandria Inmate” jumpsuit.
Judge Jackson sentenced Manafort to an additional 43 months, though 30 months are to run concurrently with his Virginia sentence effectively sending him to prison for seven and-a-half years.
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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