As the sex-trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell entered its second day, proceedings were delayed several times as the courtroom artist, Jacob Freeman, asked for more time to complete sketches of the participants.
Cameras and recording devices are banned in the New York federal court so, for the millions relying on the press and TV for coverage, the fallback is drawings from the appointed artist.
However, as yet another page was torn from his sketchbook and thrown to the floor, Freeman admitted this was his first proper job since leaving art college and nerves were playing a part. This became evident later when he repeatedly asked the prosecution lawyer to stop moving about so much.
Finally, he announced that he was hopeless with people anyway, and the media were left to distil the courtroom essence to the waiting world via an abstract sketch of a chair leg.
image by dominic_mcg
