Thomas Cleary, which was published in
The New York Times. Courtroom sketches in the United States date back as far as the 19th century. Courtroom sketch artists were present for the
trial of
abolitionist John Brown and the
impeachment of
Andrew Johnson. By the mid-19th century, there were well-known court artists and
printmakers such as
George Caleb Bingham and David G. Blyth. Sketches during this era were reproduced as engravings in print publications, because photography was not a practical option for courtroom news coverage. Additionally, the
American Bar Association adopted Judicial Canon 35, which prohibited the use of motion or still
cameras in the courtroom and was codified into law by the majority of states. In 1973, courtroom artist Aggie Whelan (Kenny) was hired by
CBS to illustrate the
Gainesville Eight trial. The restrictions were too broad and violated both CBS and Whelan's
First Amendment rights. By 1987, courtroom photography was allowed in 44 states. all 50 states allowed the use of courtroom photography by 2014.
Notable American courtroom artists Notable American courtroom artists include
Howard Brodie,
Marguerite Martyn, Bill Robles, Carole Kabrin, Aggie Whelan Kenny,
Elizabeth Williams,
Jane Rosenberg, Christine Cornell (WNBC and CNN),
Art Lien (NBC,
SCOTUSblog), Marilyn Church (
The New York Times), Richard Tomlinson (WNEW-TV), and
Joseph W. Papin (
The New York Daily News). One of the most well-known courtroom artists was
Walt Stewart, whose career began with the trial of
Jack Ruby. Over the next 35 years while on retainer by various networks, he covered famous trials such as the
Manson Family,
Soledad Brothers,
Angela Davis and
Patty Hearst. His work now hangs in museums and his sketches of the Patty Hearst trial were purchased by
Liza Minnelli. made this sketch of spectators at the murder trial of
Dora Doxey, printed in the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch on 2 June 1910. Joseph W. Papin worked for
The New York Daily News from 1969 to 1992 and covered most of the major American trials during that period of time. Among them, the
Watergate hearings, the Patty Hearst,
Son of Sam (David Berkowitz),
The Pizza Connection, and the
Jean Harris trial. Howard Brodie was a courtroom artist whose work included covering the trials of Jack Ruby,
Sirhan Sirhan,
William Calley,
Charles Manson, Patty Hearst, and the
Chicago Seven. He primarily worked for the
CBS Evening News and anchor
Walter Cronkite coined the term "artist-correspondent" to describe his work. Bill Robles is an
Emmy Award-nominated The first trial Robles covered as a television news courtroom artist was the trial of Manson. Kenny received an Emmy for her work for the
CBS Evening News on the trials of
John N. Mitchell and
Maurice Stans. Her work is included in the Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States. She is best known for her coverage of
white-collar criminals tried in New York City. Her sketches depicting the
Sean Bell trial are held by the Lloyd Sealy Library at the
John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Actor
Terry Crews stated in an appearance on
Jimmy Kimmel Live! that his first job in the entertainment industry was as the courtroom sketch artist for
WJRT in
Flint, Michigan. ==See also==