Recently I was called in by Minneapolis station KSTP-5 to sketch for another murder trial. Ronald Reed, a former Black Panther, was finally convicted of killing a Minneapolis police officer, a crime he committed 30 years ago.
I’m never really satisfied with my courtroom sketches because I have to bang them out so fast (these were all done in one day). Sometimes you get a good seat with a clear view, sometimes not. Plus you never know if a witness will be on the stand for five hours or five minutes, so you have to draw fast. Still, it’s a fascinating way to make a few extra bucks.
The defense (Reed is second from left). In retrospect I should have left out the security guard for clarity:
This witness was hard to draw:
The witness listens to a 911 call she made 30 years ago that wound up luring the policeman to his death:
This former Black Panther was obviously not happy to be on the stand:
