The Altersberger trial will resonate for years

I started with Highlands Today in October of 2008, but even before that first day, I'd already heard about the tragic death of Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Sottile.

That story came to a close back in April when Joshua Lee Altersberger was sentenced to die for shooting a man who was loved and respected by both his colleagues and his family.

I've only been a reporter for roughly four years, and this was my second murder trial. For four days, I sat in the Polk County Courthouse and listened as witnesses told about two men who came from very different backgrounds.

As a reporter, you must be objective when covering the news, and I make a point to keep emotions in check. However, in looking back on that case, I can say that I was emotionally drained by the end of those proceedings.

Hearing about a beautiful life that ended way too soon, and the devastation that caused his family and friends, hit very close to home for me, as I myself have lived through the grief of losing an immediate family member at a young age.

I understood what Sottile's wife and children were going through, and my heart went out to them, especially when having to listen to testimony about the circumstances surrounding his death.

It was also disturbing having to listen to accounts about Altersberger's upbringing. He was truly a young man who never got a break when growing up. But as I listened, I couldn't help but wonder why he never tried to dig himself out and strive for something better, instead of choosing the path he did.

No matter how bad it is, everyone is in control of their own destiny and the choices they make. To quote a line from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," Altersberger "chose poorly."

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be one of those who argued on behalf of my client. Since I didn't become an attorney, covering courts has given me as much of an education as I could have gotten at law school.

Plus, my passion for the process of justice has only intensified because of what I do for a living.

Of course, the downside is that you have to witness the pain that is wrought because of the actions of those who keep the court dockets full year in and year out.

Nowhere this year was that more evident to me than during those four days in the spring, when a jury of 12 decided the fate of one young man who pleaded guilty to murdering a Florida law enforcement officer.

When the week first began, the men and women of the jury were more upbeat, and had not yet begun the process of deciding whether to spare a man's life or condemn him to death.

By the time they returned to the jury box with their decision, that demeanor was much more solemn. The tears welling up in the eyes of one of the jurors spoke volumes as to how difficult that decision must have been to make.

As for me, I can't think of one story I covered this year that left more of an impression. The testimonies were heart wrenching, as could only be expected from such a tragic case, but nothing else had more of an impact, both professionally and emotionally.

This one will stick with me for years to come.