Courtroom Art and a Bit of Ottawa History
Nov. 22nd, 2006 11:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dewlineFor several years, I worked off and on with the local CBC affiliate here in Ottawa as one of their courtroom artists. One of the earliest cases I ever covered was the shooting death of CJOH sportscaster Brian Smith back in 1995.
The man found "not criminally responsible" in that crime was released from all legal obligations this week. My artwork got hauled out of the digital vaults for re-use in the web coverage of the reaction of Alana Kainz, Smith's widow.
Smith was a man with a solid reputation for his work here in Ottawa before his death. A former NHL player as well, his jersey number with the Los Angeles Kings ended up retired by the Senators, which seems oddly appropriate to this day.
I recall actually being interviewed once by Mrs. Kainz in connection with National Capital Freenet, owing to an accidental meeting at the Ottawa Library. I happened to be there using NCF at the time, and she was working for the Ottawa Citizen in the days before the shooting, not to mention assorted ownership changes at that newspaper. She struck me then as balancing the virtues of curiosity and politeness very well, a good skill for any reporter.
The next time we were in the same room, I was doing that sketch in the pews across the courtroom aisle from hers. It didn't seem polite to approach her for reintroductions of any sort at the time, so I left her be.
I hope that despite this latest turn of events, she's as well as she can be.
May we all be thus.
As to that stint in courtroom art? It's not something I'll ever regret. I learned a lot about law, justice, and journalism during those years. Would that the suffering of others weren't needed to make that learning happen...
The man found "not criminally responsible" in that crime was released from all legal obligations this week. My artwork got hauled out of the digital vaults for re-use in the web coverage of the reaction of Alana Kainz, Smith's widow.
Smith was a man with a solid reputation for his work here in Ottawa before his death. A former NHL player as well, his jersey number with the Los Angeles Kings ended up retired by the Senators, which seems oddly appropriate to this day.
I recall actually being interviewed once by Mrs. Kainz in connection with National Capital Freenet, owing to an accidental meeting at the Ottawa Library. I happened to be there using NCF at the time, and she was working for the Ottawa Citizen in the days before the shooting, not to mention assorted ownership changes at that newspaper. She struck me then as balancing the virtues of curiosity and politeness very well, a good skill for any reporter.
The next time we were in the same room, I was doing that sketch in the pews across the courtroom aisle from hers. It didn't seem polite to approach her for reintroductions of any sort at the time, so I left her be.
I hope that despite this latest turn of events, she's as well as she can be.
May we all be thus.
As to that stint in courtroom art? It's not something I'll ever regret. I learned a lot about law, justice, and journalism during those years. Would that the suffering of others weren't needed to make that learning happen...
