BEARD GROUP- DISTRESSED INVESTOR CONFERENCE ART

 Distressed Investor 2023 Conference in New York City. 

Artwork by Courtroom Artist Elizabeth Williams

Illustrations below by various presenters 

THE GUARDIAN Tough mouths, tears and ‘accordion hands’: a courtroom sketch artist’s banner year

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/courtroom-sketch-artist-donald-trump-sam-bankman-fried

Donald Trump, who has a ‘challenging face’ Artwork by  Elizabeth Williams

Tough mouths, tears and ‘accordion hands’:

 a courtroom sketch artist’s banner year

Elizabeth Williams has been sketching since the 1980s – but with Trump, De Niro, Sheeran and Trump again, nothing quite compares to 2023

Alaina Demopoulos

Sat 23 Dec 2023 10.00 EST

In 2022, Elizabeth Williams only worked 11 days as a courtroom sketch artist, relying on her other job as an illustrator to pay the bills. This year, work exploded.

Williams has covered these cases since the 1980s, providing sketches for outlets such as the Associated Press and CNN as countless celebrities made their way through New York City’s court system. Just when she thought she’d seen it all, the scene outside Manhattan courts started to resemble a red carpet, with news cameras and paparazzi jostling to get their photo of the many famous faces who stopped by in 2023. Whether it was one of Donald Trump’s numerous appearances or Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto trial, sketch artists like Williams had no shortage of inspiration as they gave the public a peek at proceedings inside the cameras weren’t privy to.

Anything but the fraud: ex-Trump aide focuses on ‘travesty’ courtroom sketch

Read more

Robert De Niro, Ed Sheeran and the Real Housewife Jen Shah all passed through New York courts in 2023 – sometimes, two on the same day, which meant that Williams skipped lunch to cover both of them. As the year ends, she’s swimming in sketches. “I might put together a calendar of all these people,” she said. “I’ve got enough Trump sketches to do just a calendar of him in court.”

A lot goes into Williams’s sketches, even if, in some cases, she only has mere minutes to complete them. After all, she’s sketching a first draft of history’s crooks, alleged perps and vindicated VIPs.

FOR ENTIRE STORY CLICK LINK
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/23/courtroom-sketch-artist-donald-trump-sam-bankman-fried

BANKMAN FRIED FORMER FTX CEO AT TRIAL: COURT SKETCHES

Sam Bankman Fried's demeanor during his trial has shown him to be more and more concerned as the witnesses pile up and the days go on. At the beginning of the trial he appeared focused on his laptop, showing little  emotion

Courtroom Sketch of Sam Bankman Fried at the beginning of his trial 

However as witnesses began to take the stand, his emotions started to show. During the first few witnesses he did not have much of a reaction.  It was Gary Wang, the co-founder of FTX , was the witness who started to unnerve him. During Wang's direct testimony he would put his hand up to his head, he seemed upset. It must be tough hearing your best college friend testify against you. 

Sketches of Bankman Fried during Gary Wang direct examination 

Then during Wang's cross examination he would write down notes and motion to his attorney so he could give them to him.  He had Post it notes all over the place. Sometimes he would fold them in his hands and then fold them again and again until the Post it was a tiny little square. 

Courtroom Sketch of Bankman Fried writing on Post it notes, messages for his attorney
during cross examination of Gary Wang

 Sketch of Bankman Fried talking to his attorney and handing him one of his many notes. 

Then when Caroline Ellison took the stand, he seemed on a roller coaster. Closing his eyes at times seeming to meditate intensely clasping his hands together. 

 Courtroom Drawing of Bankman Fried seated eyes closed hand clasped 

Once he shook his head slightly, then he would stare at his computer screen and at times he would grimace. When Ellison walked in and out of the courtroom there was no eye contact between them. 

Sketch of Bankman Fried and Caroline Ellison during her testimony 

Ellison would hold her head down when speaking or when the lawyers were at the sidebar.  During those times Bankman Fried would stare into space or look at his computer screen.  It was summed up in two words, extreme awkwardness. 

Courtroom Sketch of Bankman Fried grimacing during Caroline Ellison's testimony 

More weeks to come for Bankman Fried and his emotional roller coaster will continue. 

TEXAS MAN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING 13 YEAR OLD GIRL, ARRESTED AND ARRAIGNED. Artwork by Bill Robles

 A federal grand jury indicted a Texas man Thursday who allegedly kidnapped a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint in Texas, drove her to California, and sexually assaulted her multiple times before his arrest in Long Beach last week.

 According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Steven Robert Sablan, 61, of Cleburne, is charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

 

Steven Sablan alleged kidnapper at his arraignment. Artwork by Bill Robles

His arraignment was arraigned on  July 31 in the United States District Court in Los Angeles.

 

According to the indictment and an affidavit previously filed with a criminal complaint in this matter, on July 6 in San Antonio, the victim was walking down a street when Sablan, driving a gray Nissan Sentra, approached her. Sablan allegedly raised a black handgun to his side and told the victim to get in the car, saying "If you don't get in the car with me, I am going to hurt you."

 Fearing for her life, the victim obeyed Sablan, court documents allege Sablan allegedly began driving with the victim in the car and asked her how old she was. Court documents state the victim said she was 13 years old, and – after later mentioning she had a friend in Australia – Sablan allegedly told the victim he could take her to a cruise ship to visit this friend, but she had to do something for him first.

 He then repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim, according to court documents. Over the next two days, Sablan allegedly drove the victim from Texas to California and sexually assaulted her at least two more times.

 On the morning of July 9, Sablan parked the car in a lot in Long Beach and took their clothes to a laundromat for washing. While Sablan was in the laundromat, the victim stayed in the car and wrote "Help me!" on a piece of paper to try and get someone's attention, according to court documents.

A stranger saw the note, and notified law enforcement and Sablan was arrested. 

Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten freed on parole

 Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who was convicted in two killings, was released on parole Tuesday, officials said.

Van Houten, 73, spent more than five decades in prison.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had previously blocked parole efforts, said Friday that he would not challenge Houten's release in state Supreme Court.

An appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten was eligible for parole, reversing a decision by Newsom to reject parole.

Leslie Van Houten testifying on the witness stand during the Manson trial. Artwork by Bill Robles 

Van Houten was originally sentenced to death for the Aug. 10, 1969, murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca.

"The original conviction and death sentence were reversed on appeal and she was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole," the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement.

In 1969, Manson and fellow cult member Charles “Tex” Watson went inside the couple's home and tied them up.

Manson went outside and told Van Houten and another person to go inside and follow Watson’s directions, according to court records. Watson told them to kill Rosemary LaBianca, and Watson killed Leno LaBianca.

The previous day, Watson and other cult members — not Van Houten — killed actress Sharon Tate and others in her home.

Van Houten is the second of six Manson cult followers convicted of murder and initially sentenced to death to be paroled.

Leslie Van Houten during bail hearing in 2015 by Bill Robles 

Most of the death sentences were commuted to life in prison under a 1972 court decision that outlawed capital punishment; the death penalty was later reinstated in California.

More on Bill Robles' career

https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/14/us/courtroom-sketch-artist-bill-robles/index.html

The lawyer who used ChatGPT's fake legal cases in court said he was 'duped' by the AI

The lawyer who used ChatGPT's fake legal cases in court said he was 'duped' by the AI, but the judge questioned how he didn't spot the 'legal gibberish'

The lawyer who used ChatGPT to help write up an affidavit — and didn't realize the AI had completely made up fake legal cases to cite — said he was "duped" by the tool during a sanctions hearing before a New York judge on Thursday, Inner City Press reported.

Steven Schwartz, second from left listening to Judge P. Kevin Castel asking questions how these cases were verified by the attorneys. Schwartz is flanked by his legal team.
Artwork by Elizabeth Williams ( click on image to see larger)

But the federal judge in the hearing pressed the lawyer, questioning how the lawyer missed the fakes and saying ChatGPT's fabricated ramblings were "legal gibberish," journalist Matthew Russell Lee reported for his nonprofit outlet.

"Chat GPT wasn't supplementing your research - it was your research, right?" US District Court Judge P. Kevin Castel asked lawyer Steven Schwartz of personal injury law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, according to Inner City Press.

Judge P. Kevin Castel during the hearing asking Schwartz and his colleague Peter LoDuca, how they verified the bogus cases they cited in a legal document.
Artwork by Elizabeth Williams ( click on image to see larger)

The affidavit used by Schwartz and colleague Peter LoDuca was for a lawsuit from a man who alleged he was hurt by a serving cart on a flight. The court filing included six court cases that were "bogus judicial decisions with bogus quotes and bogus internal citations," Castel wrote in a previous court order.

"You say you verify cases," Castel said, according to Inner City Press 

"I, I, I thought there were cases that could not be found on Google," Schwartz replied, according to the outlet.

"Six cases, none found on Google. This non-existent case, Varghese, the excerpt you had was inconsistent, even on the first page," Castel said, the outlet reported. "Can we agree that's legal gibberish?"

Schwartz responded that he thought ChatGPT's output was "excerpts," Inner City Press reported.

Another lawyer at the firm, Peter LoDuca, is also facing sanctions, though he said in court that he didn't do the research that was used in the affidavit.

"I have worked with Mr. Schwartz for 27 years," LoDuca said in court, Inner City Press reported. "I should have been more skeptical. I can't go back and change what was done. This will never happen again."

The hearing adjourned without Castel making a decision on possible sanctions for the lawyers.

Inside look into the E Jean Carroll trial: Courtroom artwork by Elizabeth Williams

 A collection of the images from the E Jean Carroll trial in consecutive order. From the first day of testimony to the final verdict

E Jean Carroll on the witness stand  1st day of testimony, below cover of New York Daily News

 E Jean Carroll on witness stand with photo of her and Donald Trump from the 1980's

E Jean Carroll breaking down on witness stand describing the attack by Donald Trump 

Trump Deposition played for jury where he stated that when questioned if the Access Hollywood statements were true:

"Well, historically, that's true with stars," Trump replied."It's true with stars that they can grab women by the p----?" Trump was asked.   "Well, if you look over the last million years, I guess that's been largely true," Trump said. "Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately, or fortunately."    "And you consider yourself to be a star?" Trump was asked. He replied " Yes"

 Joe Tacopina seated at trial watching the cross examination of Dr Leslie Lebowitz by his co counsel. 

E Jean Carroll seated upper left hand corner. 

Note: Carroll was seated deep into the well of the courtroom and barely able to be seen by artists. It was a challenge to draw her during trial when she was not in the witness stand. 

Dr Leslie Lebowtiz on the witness stand on direct examination discussing the effect of trauma from a sexual assault on E Jean Carroll, and other victims. 

Former People Magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff describes the sexual assault made by Donald Trump during a magazine interview at Mara Lago. 

E Jean Carroll's friend, Carol Martin describes the conversation she had with Carroll soon after the attack by Donald Trump. 

Final witness: E Jean Carroll's former boss, Roberta Myers on the witness stand. 

Joe Tacopina addressing Judge Kaplan regarding giving Trump more time to decide to testify after he rested.  

E Jean Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan giving her summation to the jury. The jury was anonymous so no faces were drawn. 

Joe Tacopina gives his summation to the jury, while showing excerpts from the Donald Trump video deposition 

Verdict being read in open court. Jury in foreground, Carroll seated left between her attorneys. 

E Jean Carroll's reaction after the verdict was read. She turned around and smiled at the jury as the courtroom deputy was polling the jury.