CourtArtist.com

Michael Vick brings circus to Richmond

After hours of standing in a line behind police tape on a typical Richmond summer day my paper was damp from the humidity and my fingers were swollen like sausages.  As entertaining as it was outside among the hordes of protesters, spectators, media and police it was a relief to finally take a seat in the courtroom. The actual court proceedings  were brief and anti-climactic.

The sketch shows Michael Vick being sworn in before entering his plea of not guilty to gambling and interstate commerce charges involving dogfighting. Standing behind him is Billy Martin, one of his attorneys.

WaPo story is here.

The Wire

Last week I got to play the part of courtroom sketch artist for HBO's The Wire.   That in itself was a gas, but what made it even better is that the scene featured Baltimore's own Billy Murphy playing himself.

My first assignment as a sketch artist for WJZ-TV was the trial of Charles A. Hopkins who had gone on a rampage at City Hall shooting and killing Councilman Dominic M. Leone. The jury found Hopkins not guilty by reason of insanity. His attorney? Billy Murphy.