Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys seek a fresh trial, alleging the court clerk advised jurors against trusting him.
Attorneys for Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Seek New Trial, Alleging Jury Tampering
In a stunning turn of events, attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted of double murder, have filed a request for a new trial. They are accusing the court clerk, Rebecca Hill, of improperly influencing the jury during the trial.
The defense team alleges that Hill told jurors not to trust Murdaugh when he took the stand in his own defense. They also claim that she had private conversations with the jury foreperson and exerted pressure on the jurors to reach a swift verdict.
Furthermore, the lawyers assert that Hill provided jury members with business cards from reporters and even traveled to New York City with three jurors after the trial to conduct interviews. To make matters worse, she authored a book titled “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders.”
“Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame,” stated Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, the attorneys representing Murdaugh. They plan to hold a news conference outside the South Carolina Court of Appeals to address these allegations.
Mr. Murdaugh’s legal team is requesting an evidentiary hearing where jurors would be questioned under oath to further investigate their claims. They believe that once more information is on the record, a new trial should be granted. Currently serving a life sentence without parole, Murdaugh, a disbarred attorney, was found guilty of killing his wife and son.
The focus of the request for a new trial centers around Rebecca Hill, the clerk of court who was elected in 2020.
According to sworn statements from three jurors included in Murdaugh’s appeal, Hill engaged in private conversations with the jury foreperson both inside the courthouse and during their visit to the crime scene at Murdaugh’s property. The filing does not include a statement from the foreperson.
The jurors revealed that Hill instructed them “not to be fooled” by the defense’s evidence and to closely observe Murdaugh’s actions and movements while he testified. One juror interpreted this as an indication of Murdaugh’s guilt.
The appeal also accuses Hill of lying to the judge during the trial regarding a Facebook post that led to the dismissal of a juror. Hill claimed that the juror’s ex-husband posted about the case and the expected verdict. However, the defense argues that the apology post shown to the judge did not originate from the ex-husband’s account, and an analysis of his Facebook activity on that day supports their claim.
As evidence, Murdaugh’s lawyers submitted a transcript from a closed-door meeting where Judge Clifton Newman expressed his displeasure with Hill for interrogating a juror instead of bringing the matter to his attention.
Other jurors have come forward, stating that Hill informed them that if they did not reach a verdict by 11 p.m., they would be taken to a hotel for the night. This caused distress among jurors who had not packed for an overnight stay. Additionally, Hill refused to allow the jurors to take a smoke break until they reached a verdict, according to the appeal.
Juror 630, in a sworn statement, admitted feeling pressured by other jurors and wrote, ”I had questions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt but voted guilty because I felt pressured.” The appeal redacts the jurors’ names, identifying them only by numbers.
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