Mike Hubbard ethics trial: JD Crowe's courtroom doodles

J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Doodling in the courtroom

If you like beautifully-rendered drawings by courtroom artists depicting soap opera-like scenes in a trial, you should leave this dirty hole right now. That's not what this is about.

My caricatures, sketches and doodles are more like squiggly, scratchy naughty dark secrets and horrible thoughts floating around like inky demons. My sketchbook, like me, is kind of a mess.

I took my filthy sketchbook and a handful of horrible pens and dropped in on Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard's ethics trial in Opelika a couple of times over the last few days. One character became a quick favorite: Prosecutor Matt Hart, pictured here, is a lovely beast of a man to draw.

If you have the nerve, take a stroll through the rest of my Hubbard trial doodles. Don't look too closely at the scribbling. Not all the words were meant for naive public eyes to see.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

The Prosecutor: Matt Hart

With his large frame, piercing eyes and Hagridly handsome countenance, Matt Hart can be an imposing figure in the courtroom.

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I'm not happy about the Speaker's troubles, but I'm glad for the opportunity to see these characters live and in person. I found a few ways to tweak and sharpen the caricature of Hubbard during this trial.

The Defendant: Mike Hubbard

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

"Those Ethics Laws ..."

If Hubbard is convicted on any of 23 charges, it will probably be because of these damn emails.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

The Defense Attorney: Bill Baxley

This trial is a showcase for the opposing attorneys with contrasting styles. At times, Bill Baxley appears to be fumbling and forgetful, a kindly-yet-crotchety older fella who just might be slow as a fox.

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You can't really tell by this caricature, but I've been impressed with Judge Walker. He's kept this trial running on time without a lot of drama or over-reaching from the bench. Physically, he kinda reminds me of the old comedian Buddy Hackett.

J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

The Judge: Jacob Walker

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Guess Who? Luv Guv is in the house

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Gov. Robert Bentley takes the stand

The governor's highly anticipated testimony was short and drama-free. Apparently, Mr. Hart forgot to ask the Luv Guv the important questions while he was under oath: Did he really diddle his top adviser and just how sweet are her ears?

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Hard work, hard work, Paris, hard work, hard work

About all we got out of Gov. Bentley's testimony was that at the Paris Air Show, which is nothing like a vacation, it's all hard work, is that Mike Hubbard was there representing as an Alabama legislator. But the governor went on to say that the Paris Air Show is all hard work, it's a working trip. A hard working trip. And that Hubbard may have talked to people but it didn't matter because the only person anybody really wanted to talk to was the governor, because he's the main man at these hard working Paris Air Shows. Hard work.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Grilling the witness

Steven French, a financial adviser and former state senator, answers Matt Hart's questions as Judge Walker looks on and the court reporter does her thing.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Bob Riley and Mike Hubbard: Awkward moment at the trial

Bob Riley is like a mentor and father figure to Mike Hubbard. I think part of Riley would like to pull Hubbard by the ear into the woodshed.

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Former Gov. Bob Riley is the key witness in this trial. His testimony could make it or break it for Hubbard. He's been on the stand longer than anyone so far.

J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Bob Riley takes the stand

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Kissy-assy emails

Besides exposing some money-grubbing tendencies, Hubbard's emails to Riley are some of the most slurpy, syrupy, kissy-assy messages a grown man has ever sent to another grown man. And when they appear as large as a wall in a courtroom ... well, I'm embarrassed for the both of them. That's an awful lot of man love, bro.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Testy, testy ...

Bob Riley likes to talk off the record. This trial ain't off the record. Things are gonna get testy between Mr. Hart and Mr. Riley.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Things got testy

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Hostile witness?

After several hours of questioning, the tension was building between the two dudes. At one point, Hart asked Judge Walker to declare Riley a hostile witness. The judge declined, hoping the two would just play nice.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Will Brooke

Will Brooke's testimony exposed Hubbard's habit of mixing up his House Speaker role with his personal business interests. Brooke, a big time financial advisor with Harbert Management, said he was a friend of Hubbard's through politics. He was the recipient of some of Hubbard's most whiny messages in which he talked of passing a bill or budget thingy, and here's how you can thank me: I need more money! These emails were sent on Hubbard's personal business account, but it included his official Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives signature.

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J.D. Crowe | jdcrowe@al.com

Whoomp. There it is!

Hart asked Brooke if he thought Hubbard's House Speaker signature was appropriate on a business email in which Hubbard was asking for favors, Brooke thought for a moment. "I never thought about it like that ... but, there it is."

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