The Haun Trial Sketchbook

About the Illustrator

Illustrator Bill Robles has been drawing courtroom dramas for newspapers and television newscasts for 27 years. His work on cases such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial and auto maker John DeLorean’s cocaine-trafficking trial has helped earn him a reputation as one of the best courtroom artists in the nation. Robles’ observations of key players in the Haun trial accompany his drawings.

The Prosecutor

“Deputy Dist. Atty. Lela Henke-Dobroth is all business. She seemed to know her stuff and presented it well. . . . She was one of the easier people to draw because she’s got this great bone structure. An artist would love to draw a person like that because of the sculptured face. . . . Her courtroom demonstrations with the knife and ax were kind of chilling . . . I mean, God, can you imagine someone hacking at you with a hatchet?”

The Defense

“Deputy Public Defender Neil Quinn is another easy person to draw. He seems to be very comfortable and very confident. He carried himself well, very animated. . . . He had good strong features. Beards always help. Artists love beards. It gives you more of an interesting shape to deal with, and you don’t have to be so concerned with the accuracy of the lips, which are very difficult.”

The Judge

“Superior Court Judge Frederick A. Jones seems like he can be stern, but he seems to be fair. . . . I think he has a good blend between having a good rapport with the jury and with the court personnel. They seem to respect him, and from what I gather, there’s a kind of mutual admiration. . . . He’s a dead ringer for Steve Croft of ’60 Minutes.’ ”

The Sister

“Mary Oliver, the defendant’s sister, seemed like a nice person, and that was it. . . . It’s hard to read much into the few questions that I heard, but I don’t know one way or another if I have an opinion. . . . She was not a dimwit, that’s for sure. She spoke quite well.”

The Prostitute

“[Prostitute] Tracy Bixler came across as very convincing--not what I would expect, actually. You could see underneath that she was pretty hard, but they had her groomed up for the appearance.”

The Accused

“Diana Haun seemed like she didn’t have a care in the world. They could have been talking about any subject up there. She didn’t look distraught, she smiled a few times. Certainly not the type that you would think would commit a crime like that. . . . She was kind of attractive, but definitely middle-of-the-road. Not prissy, but very proper. Certainly not a sex bomb.”