OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
4:55 PM – Monday, January 29, 2024
A South Carolina judge ruled that convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh will not be receiving a new murder trial after his lawyers blamed a court clerk for “jury tampering.”
On Monday, Murdaugh, a former South Carolina attorney that was convicted of killing his wife and son last year, was denied a new murder trial by a South Carolina judge.
Attorneys for Murdaugh had requested a new trial on the grounds that the jury and court clerk that found him guilty almost 11 months prior had tampered with evidence in the case.
As Murdaugh sat in orange prison attire, Judge Jean Toal announced her decision to deny him a new trial. She claimed that the court clerk had “improperly spoken” to the jury, but she also said that the remarks had no bearing on the jury’s decision.
Toal expressed her doubts that Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the clerk, was a completely reliable witness and thought she had been swayed by the “siren call” to become well-known and write a book about the trial.
“I simply do not believe that the authority of our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial such as this on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity influenced clerk of courts,” the judge said.
Murdaugh’s defense team asserts that Hill’s alleged tampering was intended “to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial.”
“Now that I’ve read the record, I say as the successive trial judge that the evidence was overwhelming and the jury verdict not surprising,” Toal added before leaving the bench and closing out for the day.
In addition, Toal went on to explain that even though Hill made “improper comments,” the defense was unable to show that these remarks had an impact on the jurors’ choice to find Murdaugh guilty.
Murdaugh’s lawyers now say that the next step in the process will go to the Court of Appeals.
“We go from here to the Court of Appeals, then South Carolina Supreme Court, if necessary – and then federal court,” Murdaugh attorney Dick Harpootlian told the press.
“It’s either going to be decided, in my opinion, in our favor in the appellate court or five years down the road in federal court – unless they change the federal law,” Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin said.
The court clerk’s attorneys, Justin Bamberg and Will Lewis, stated that they approved of the finding.
“We agree with Justice Toal’s finding that the Colleton County jurors selected for this very complicated and lengthy trial were consummate professionals and operated within the instructions of the court,” the attorneys said. “We thank them for their service.”
Due to the case, Murdaugh, a former personal injury lawyer, has received international attention, with multiple documentaries, books, and podcasts being produced about it.
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