Current:Home > ScamsAlex Murdaugh seeks new trial in murders of wife and son, claiming clerk tampered with jury-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Alex Murdaugh seeks new trial in murders of wife and son, claiming clerk tampered with jury
lotradecoin competition View Date:2024-12-25 22:22:51
Convicted murderer and disgraced former lawyer Alex Murdaugh is seeking a new trial in South Carolina, alleging the court clerk tampered with the jury as his lawyers claim there is "newly discovered evidence" in the case.
Murdaugh, who is still facing charges of financial impropriety related to his family's law firm and the death of his former housekeeper, was convicted in March of killing his wife, Maggie, and son Paul in 2021.
Attorneys for the 55-year-old alleged in a new court filing that Rebecca Hill, Colleton County's Clerk of Court, engaged in intentional misconduct — deliberately violating a defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury — to secure financial gain for herself.
Hill self-published a book on the case called "Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders" in July.
Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, attorneys for Murdaugh, are requesting an evidentiary hearing that they said in a news conference Tuesday will give them subpoena power so they can request phone records and emails in addition to speaking to witnesses. Ultimately, they are hoping for a new trial.
Murdaugh was convicted of both murders after a six-week trial in which he testified in his own defense. He was sentenced to life behind bars. He denied any involvement in the killings.
"I respect this court, but I'm innocent," Murdaugh told the judge ahead of sentencing. "I would never under any circumstances hurt my wife Maggie, and I would never under any circumstances hurt my son."
Now Murdaugh's attorneys claim Hill "instructed jurors not to be 'misled' by evidence presented in Mr. Murdaugh's defense. She told jurors not to be 'fooled by' Mr. Murdaugh's testimony in his own defense," they said in a court filing.
She also had "frequent private conversations with the jury foreperson," "asked jurors for their opinions about Mr. Murdaugh's guilt or innocence," "invented a story about a Facebook post to remove a juror she believed might not vote guilty" and "pressured the jurors to reach a quick verdict," they allege.
The new filing contains sworn affidavits from three of the jurors, identified only by their numbers, as well as excerpts from Hill's book.
"Ms. Hill did these things to secure for herself a book deal and media appearances that would not happen in the event of a mistrial. Ms. Hill betrayed her oath of office for money and fame," Murdaugh's attorneys wrote.
When they shared the affidavits with Murdaugh, "He was astonished, he was shaking, he was in disbelief," Griffin said Tuesday afternoon.
The jurors spoke with the attorneys because "they're upset with the way this played out," Harpootlian said, though he could not comment on whether the jurors regretted their votes to convict.
"We were hitting brick walls until her book came out, and then jurors who obviously were not comfortable with how she handled matters were even less comfortable with her going on a book tour, making money off what she did," Griffin said.
Griffin and Harpootlian said in a statement they also asked the South Carolina U.S. attorney to open a federal investigation.
CBS News has reached out to Hill for comment but has not received a response.
–Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this report.
- In:
- Alex Murdaugh
veryGood! (1528)
Related
- Walmart boosts its outlook for 2024 with bargains proving a powerful lure for the inflation weary
- Maryland woman wins over $200,000 from Racetrax lottery game after husband criticizes her betting strategy
- Former Louisville officer charged in Breonna Taylor raid says he was defending fellow officers
- Election workers report receiving suspicious packages, some containing fentanyl, while processing ballots
- 51 Must-Try Stress Relief & Self-Care Products for National Relaxation Day (& National Wellness Month)
- Formatting citations? Here's how to create a hanging indent, normal indent on Google Docs
- Don't assume Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti is clueless or naive as he deals with Michigan
- Bears vs. Panthers Thursday Night Football highlights: Chicago holds on for third win
- 'Alien: Romulus' movie review: Familiar sci-fi squirms get a sheen of freshness
- Horoscopes Today, November 9, 2023
Ranking
- Streamer stayed awake for 12 days straight to break a world record that doesn't exist
- China denies accusations of forced assimilation and curbs on religious freedom in Tibet
- Palestinian soccer team prepares for World Cup qualifying games against a backdrop of war
- Mississippi attorney general asks state Supreme Court to set execution dates for 2 prisoners
- Oklahoma city approves $7M settlement for man wrongfully imprisoned for decades
- Imprisoned Algerian journalist remains behind bars despite expected release
- David Ross reflects after Chicago Cubs firing: 'I get mad from time to time'
- Alabama sets date to attempt nation's first nitrogen gas execution of death row inmate
Recommendation
-
As Baltimore’s Sewer System Buckles Under Extreme Weather, City Refuses to Help Residents With Cleanup Efforts
-
Portugal’s president dissolves parliament and calls an early election after prime minister quit
-
Jury awards $1.2 million to Robert De Niro’s former assistant in gender discrimination lawsuit
-
Former Louisville officer charged in Breonna Taylor raid says he was defending fellow officers
-
Head of Theodore Roosevelt National Park departs North Dakota job
-
Blinken says ‘far too many’ Palestinians have died as Israel wages relentless war on Hamas
-
Apple to pay $25 million to settle allegations of discriminatory hiring practices in 2018, 2019
-
16 Amazing Sales Happening This Weekend You'll Regret Missing