Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom

by Andy Austin

In 1969 artist Andy Austin pitched herself as a substitute for an ABC TV courtroom sketch artist who didn’t show up to cover the Chicago 7 trial, thus beginning her career of more than 40 years of covering some of the city’s and the nation’s most notorious trials—all documented in this compilation. Rule 53 dictates no cameras allowed in the courtroom, so mobsters, politicians, spies, terrorists, gang members, and serial killers on trial leave their mark on history through the artist's renderings. This engaging memoir and firsthand account of how the drama of the courtroom stage really unfolds will delight history and true crime buffs, court watchers, and anyone fascinated by the nuances of character only an artist can capture.

No Cameras Allowed

In the late 1960s, new to Chicago and bored with the still life subjects she painted in her home studio, artist Andy Austin began wandering the city in search of surprises from life as it is really lived. Chicago delivered―with the color and drama of volatile times and larger-than-life subjects. The streets were alive with noisy demonstrations, against the war in Vietnam, and in support of issues ranging from civil rights to raises for schoolteachers. Austin sketched picket lines and protests and sometimes joined them, soaking up every detail with crystalline clarity. When she turned her skills to court drawing, her stunning ability to capture pivotal moments and revealing human interactions gave Chicagoans an unparalleled you-are-there view of trials and personalities that made headlines.

Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, and Murderers in an American Courtroom is a vivid memoir by one of the country's best visual chroniclers of courtroom proceedings. Austin's gift for seeing essential details offers intimate glimpses of defendants like the Chicago 7 radicals, the Black Panthers and the El Rukns, serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and a parade of mobsters. In prose as deft and insightful as her sketches, she shares her portraits of the lawyers, judges, politicians, and others involved in cases she observed, salutes friends and colleagues, and shares personal experiences that influenced her unique perspective on local history in the making.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

408 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vivid look at what it's like to sit in a courtroom as a member of the press, but with the added twist of having to consider about factors like angles, shading and lighting while staying on top of what's being said and watching for reactions. Austin looks at a sampling of some of the biggest cases to pass through Chicago's federal courts, in all of their twists and turns.

[Hannah Schwarz · Rating 1 out of 5]

- didn't actually finish (probs got halfway through and then couldn't do it anymore)
- parts of it (like Chicago Seven Trial and John Wayne Gacy trials) were really interesting
- but author goes into way too much detail (without providing necessary background context) in other trials. provides all the names of people in large criminal syndicates even though it wasn't necessary--just ended up being confusing

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boooring. I don't doubt that Austin can illustrate a story, but she definately can't write one. The Chicago history aspects were interesting, but I found myself skimming through the unnecessary descriptions of the court proceedings to find out the verdict. She threw around way too many names without telling the reader who they were or why they were important enough to be mentioned.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical take on Chicago from the perspective of the courtroom and an artist's experience. Learned a lot of things about how proceedings worked (or sometimes rigged) as well as many cases I never knew occurred in Chicago.

[Georgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chicago Public Library recommended this book as a book about art and an artist. Actually, it's much more the memoir of Andy Austin. She describes the inner workings of the Chicago justice system as she worked as a courtroom sketch artist. Fascinating!

[Eclectic Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

Austin shares her memories from decades of covering some of Chicago's most well-known trials as a courtroom artist.