Artists in the courtroom sketch individuals during the hearing to express the event through the different artistic medias. Pencil, charcoal or pastel capture the moment and enable the public to visually see the situation through the drawing of the sketch artist.
Case Example: Ex-WorldCom chief executive Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the $11 billion accounting fraud at the telecommunications company. He is currently serving a 25-year prison term at a federal prison in Louisiana. These courtroom drawings are from an Oklahoma County courtroom.
Case Example: Terry Nichols was convicted of murder in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. In federal court he was convicted of conspiring to bomb a federal building and eight counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of eight federal law enforcement officers. Nichols was returned to Oklahoma to face 161 counts of first-degree murder, where he was found guilty of all charges. He was sentenced to life in prison on both federal and state charges. These courtroom drawings are from an Oklahoma County courtroom.