Courthouse Shine

Those of us that work at the courthouse know this man as Ben. I never knew his last name but I saw him almost daily as I went about my business in the Criminal Justice Center (CJC). He posed for me years ago and I painted this from one of the three to four photos I took of him. He died a few years ago. I made this painting back in 2005. In April I was in a car accident and this painting was in my car. The frame was busted up in the wreck. It gave me the opportunity to photograph the painting again.

I like painting radishes.

Turner Trail Painting Four

Whenever I can I watch a little bit of a trial to steal ideas from other lawyers and to sketch. I've posted about this trial before. It involved a young woman accused of beating a child to death. The person in the foreground is a local defense lawyer and in the background is the judge that presides over the trial.

911 Operator

Another painting from the Nicole Turner trial in the 427th Judicial District Court. The charge was injury to a child. The child did not survive. The jury returned with a verdict of guilty and recommended a sentence of 35 years incarceration today. The center person is the 911 operator. To the left and right are the prosecutors.

I spent a little time waiting in the 167th District Court last week. I got this little sketch of the judge.

Pre Trial Motion 3

Another painting from my long day in court the other day.

Ellison Trial 4

Yesterday the defendant was sentenced to another life term in prison. Another 20 or so years added to his stay in prison. In this painting is Bryan Case the lead prosecutor. He was questioning the ballistics expert. Next to him is the court reporter documenting the proceedings.

Ellison Trial 3

The defendant from the side. He was probably enjoying the fact that he is spending time outside the prison walls.

Trial Day One 5

The defendant and one of his guards. This trial did make the Sunday papers. He was sentenced to 40 years for murder.

New 147th Judge

I don't have many cases in the 147th Judicial District Court these days. As such, I really haven't had a chance to get some drawings of Judge Cliff Brown. Last Friday I spent most of my morning in his court working a case out. In between negotiations I penned this one. I used Inktense pencils on the new Canson watercolor boards.

Trial Day One 3

Two of the defense lawyers and the defendant. He was found guilty and will be sentenced by Judge Jon Wisser on Friday. I also found out that both the victim and defendant were homeless vets. The term homeless vets makes me sad because these people gave themselves in service of this country and we threat them like discarded chips in a game of checkers. But off my soap box. The defendant is the guy in blue.

Trial Day One 2

In this image we have a defense lawyer, part of the defendant's head and a courtroom guard. I don't know the outcome but I will find out what happened. I was only able to catch a few minutes . This case like a majority of the cases that get pled out or tried in our courts go unnoticed by the press.

Trial Sketches

I wanted to post a few of these together. I was able to catch about 2.5 hours of the Tom Delay trial. These are some sketches/paintings from the trial portion of the case.

Delay Trial Sketch

I will get around to making a painting from these one of these days. I think both watercolor and pastel would be great starts.

Trial #14

I wish I could paint from the bailiff's desk or from behind the bench but that would just distract the jury.

Evolution of a sketch

If and when I get to work from my sketches I rearrange everyone to fit the courtrooms composition. By the way the jury is out.

More Trial Sketches

More players in the trial. Both parties have rested now its up to the citizens.

Trial Sketches

Some sketches from the ongoing trial in the 331st District Court. I rarely draw the courtroom as it is. I tend to get the body language of the participants down and then construct paintings with everyone in their proper place from the sketches..

This is the original sketch completed during a murder trial I was watching. The sketch has the defense lawyer questioning the detective, taking notes his brother that was second chairing him and a few people in the audience.

The painting whcih represents a portion of the sketch.

Court Security

The sketch was executed while waiting in court. The painting was done later. Whenever a person approaches the bench that is in custody he or she is with a guard or two. They require the defendant to have his hands behind his back and they stand ready to attack if needed. I have stood by many dangerous people over the course of the years. When my stomach tells me to be wary I listen.

Pun ishment Phase

These are two prosecutors from a recent trial that only had a punishment phase. The defendant had originally been sentenced to 5 years in prison; the second jury maxed her out with 10 years. This was painted from the courtroom sketch. 6 by 6 canvas board $100.00.