Former Rupert Murdoch aide Rebekah Brooks has been acquitted of one of the five charges levied against her as she took the stand to testify about the phone hacking case on Thursday.
Brooks was acquitted by Judge John Sanders on the charge of misconduct over accusations that she snagged a photo of Prince William wearing a bikini by offering a source $6,000, reports the Los Angeles Times. The count was dropped because the judge felt there wasn't enough evidence to determine the photograph's source.
The former editor of Murdoch tabloids still faces four other counts, including illegal payments to public officials and allowing News of the World journalists to hack phones. She has denied the charges, which stem from 2000 through 2003.
When she took the stand, Brooks testified that it is normal to pay for stories, such as $250,000 for the interview with Divine Brown, a prostitute who was arrested with Hugh Grant 19 years ago. She noted, "It seems so silly now but it was quite important."
According to The Associated Press, during her time on the stand Thursday, she denied knowing the private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, who allegedly helped hack phones for the tabloid newspaper.
She also claimed to not be aware of the phone hacking at all, noting, "It's impossible for an editor to know every source of every story."
Brooks also claimed that the investigative team for News of the World might have used some deceptive tactics, "but always with a very good public interest."