Title:
Smith County courtroom model
Description:
Model of the Smith County courtroom. The exterior side of the model has the manufacturer's sticker: Another Consco model, Product of Construction Service Co., 4907 Ohio Garden Road, Fort Worth, Texas. Model depicts layout and arrangement of room, with removable fixtures for television cameras, furniture, human figures and other accessories. Human figures appear to be made of clay.
Description:
Historical Note: This model of the Smith County courtroom was used by the office of the Texas Attorney General in the case of Billie Sol Estes vs. State of Texas in 1965. It was constructed to prove that Estes had a fair trial, not hindered or compromised by the presence of television and news crew in the courtroom. In 1962, Billie Sol Estes, a financier and businessman, was convicted in the District Court for the Seventh Judicial District of Texas at Tyler for swindling. Estes apparently embarked on a scheme in 1958 that allowed his company to receive federal agricultural subsidies in return for growing and storing fertilizer tanks, which did not exist in reality. The scheme yielded his company approximately $21 million in profit a year. When proceedings began in 1962 against Estes, the small state courtroom was filled with people. There were 12 television and news cameramen present; and three microphones were positioned on the judge's bench while others were beamed at the jury box and counsel table. The proceedings were carried live to television viewers and videotapes replaced the Late Movie at night. Some restrictions were placed on news media representatives during the actual three-day trial, but videotapes were made and the opening and closing arguments of the state, the return of the jury's verdict and its receipt by the trial judge were broadcast live on television. In 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 1962 conviction and held 5-4 that telecasts of parts of Estes' trial had violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. Four members of the court found inherent unfairness in televising the trial because of its potential prejudicial effect upon the judge, the jury, defense and prosecution and the defendant. The fifth member of the majority, Justice Harlan, limited his views to opposing televising of notorious trials or those of widespread public interest. The reversal did not make Estes a free man. In a separate case, Estes had been convicted on March 28, 1963, by a federal district court on four counts of mail fraud and conspiracy and, after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal, he was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison. After exhausting appeals and serving six years, he was paroled in 1971. In 1979, he was convicted of tax fraud and served four more years. He was released in 1983. Estes died on May 14, 2013.
Description:
Related Collection: Texas Governor Price Daniel campaign files and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals records at the Texas State Archives.
Identifier:
ATF0511
Item identifier:
ATF0511
Collection:
Artifacts collection
Date of creation:
1965
Source:
Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1975/044
Geographic coverage:
Texas
Subject:
Estes, Billie Sol
Subject:
Texas. Attorney-General's Office
Type:
Image
Type:
Other Documents
Type:
Model, Architect's
Medium:
Wood (plant material)
Medium:
Metal
Medium:
Clay
Citation information:
ATF0511, Artifacts collection. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Copyright information:
This image is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States. The Item and its design depicted in this image may be protected by copyright, patents, trademarks, or other related rights. You are free to use this image in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Texas State Library and Archives Commission makes no warranties about the Item and cannot guarantee the accuracy of this Rights Statement. You are responsible for your own use. Please contact the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for more information. You may need to obtain other permissions for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy or moral rights may limit how you may use the material.
Size or duration:
not yet measured
Language:
English