May Program
Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom,
A Reading/Presentation by Andy Austin
Rule 53 in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure states that photography and broadcasting in the courtroom are prohibited. Therefore, it is up to artists to capture the story inside the courtroom.
For CWIP's customary author reading program in May, Andy Austin prepared a unique presentation of images and text describing her experiences as a courtroom artist. She read a personal narrative while a slideshow of her sketches flashed behind her. She shared her sketches and stories of the trials that lead to her book, Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom. She spent 20 years writing this book that illustrates part of Chicago's history through court hearings. As lisa scacco said, "If you think it's about cases that you've never heard of and you won't care, you're wrong."
During a time when women had very limited professional options or career paths, Austin dreamed big. She enjoyed creating art, but didn't like to stay at home to sketch still life objects. Instead, Austin took her practice outside onto the streets of Chicago, capturing picket lines and protests. After realizing these fast-paced picket lines and protests scenes were hard to sketch, she decided to take her talent to the courtroom. During the beginning of the Chicago Conspiracy 8 trial, Austin overheard Hugh Hill from ABC Channel 7 News shouting that he needed an artist. Austin was there to answer the demand, and he hired her on the spot. Austin had discovered a career that would last her over 40 years.
Undoubtedly, Austin learned about human nature from sketching in the courtroom. She realized there are really two sides to everyone, and that she witnessed "the enigma of the beloved murderer." And, the alleged criminals would make it easy for the artist to draw them. They would adjust themselves and pose so the artists would have a good view of them, and therefore produce a good sketch. In order to get a sketch of John Wayne Gacy Jr. smiling, Austin flashed a smile at Gacy. Eventually he noticed, and Gacy smiled back. This exchange of "flirtatious" smiles got Austin her sketch. She felt bad giving him a sense of false hope, especially since Gacy nudged his lawyer, pointed at Austin, and whispered in his lawyer's ear. However, once her sketch was finished, Austin stopped smiling at him.
Austin had different responsibilities from a "real" reporter. Austin had deadlines like reporters too, but once the news shows displayed her sketches, she jokes that she went home to a glass of white wine. Meanwhile, the "real" reporters were still editing; contemplating what to keep and what to cut in their reports. Her sketches recorded life to preserve it, not to editorialize it.
Her ambition and perseverance is what made her a successful courtroom artist. Austin believed she was a professional artist and treated herself as a reporter. As a result, everyone thought of her and treated her as such. Instead of finishing her sketches at the desk she had at the Channel 7 station, she finished them at a desk in the courtroom's pressroom that she claimed for herself. She thought of herself as a reporter, and therefore thought she should have a desk in the pressroom like all the other reporters. And she got it. This is the sort of thought process creative people-whether they're an artist, writer, or editor-can apply to their crafts and professions. How others treat artists can be based on how artists think of themselves. If, like Austin, one believes and acts like she is a writer, everyone around her will think the same, and treat her as such.
Rachel Winokur received her B.A. in Fiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago. Currently, she is an associate editor at Pearson Education. She can be reached at rachel.winokur@gmail.com.