You're listening to a special bonus series of the Your Own Backyard Podcast, titled

People vs. Flores, a weekly recap of the murder trial of Paul and Ruben Flores.

Since filming and audio recording aren't currently allowed inside the courtroom, these

episodes will recount handwritten notes taken by host Chris Lambert, breaking from our typical

documentary format in an effort to get updates out as regularly and succinctly as possible.

These recaps will likely contain subject matter that may be graphic and disturbing to some

listeners.

Your discretion is advised.

In August 2021, San Luis Obispo Superior Courthouse hosted a preliminary hearing where

a judge would determine whether the District Attorney's Office had enough evidence to hold

over Paul and Ruben Flores for a trial.

Paul was charged with murdering Kristen Smart after walking her home from a party in 1996

and his father, Ruben, was charged with helping to dispose of her body after the fact.

Preliminary hearings in California usually last between an hour and a few days.

The prosecution asked the court for 12 days to present their case.

In the end, the preliminary lasted a mind numbing 22 days and covered the testimony of 31

witnesses.

In this context, the word witness doesn't mean they witnessed the actual crime taking

place, only that they testified to some aspect of the prosecution's case.

From people who saw Kristen Smart and Paul Flores together on the night she disappeared,

to the forensic serologist who said that soil samples taken from under Ruben Flores's

deck in 2021, tested positive for the presence of human blood.

...