I really enjoy court coverage, you get details straight from the witnesses themselves. I've decided to do more, listeners seem to like them too! Editing them can be tricky, sometimes the witnesses don't speak clearly or loud enough. The attorneys frequently step away from the microphone, there are echoes, white noise, etc etc. I am constantly experimenting with the best ways to edit the audio in these court trials. I have the best software out there pretty much, so it's inevitable that I will find just the right method. At least one can only hope so.
In regards to the Rebecca Ruud case, this one was difficult because she was found not guilty, and I can see why the judge came to that conclusion. There just wasn't enough evidence presented to find her guilty. The prosecution weighed their case heavily on the jail house snitches, and even though it seems that what they said was truthful, there is always that doubt. Other than that, Ruud certainly did some things that would portray guilt. Burning Savannah's body was the major one. It was never really clear to me why she chose to do that except to hide the fact from her adoptive parents that Savannah died while under her care.
In the end, the judge found her not guilty, not because he thought she didn't do it, but because the case for guilt was not proven. What do I think? I'm with the judge on this one, there was just not enough proof, but I think it's highly likely she killed Savannah.
Also, I mispronounced Montague in the intro of this episode! Sorry about that!
