Alex Murdaugh returns to court ahead of retrial
Alex Murdaugh was back in court for a retrial status hearing following the reversal of his double murder conviction, as attorneys weighed the next steps in the case, including demands for a fresh review of DNA evidence and broader legal questions involving the Supreme Court’s influence on state election procedures.
A federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit by Alexander Murdaugh that sought to recover $600,000 in legal fees from the former county clerk accused of improperly influencing jurors during his murder trial.
U.S. District Judge Richard Mark Gergel found that Murdaugh did not have standing to sue Rebecca “Becky” Hill, ruling that the alleged jury misconduct was not what forced him to spend money defending himself against the charges.
In the order, Gergel noted that Murdaugh would have had to pay for his legal defense regardless of Hill’s conduct because she neither brought the murder charges nor directed the prosecution.
“Simply stated, Defendant’s misconduct was not a proximate cause of Plaintiff’s need to fund his defense costs,” the judge wrote.
During the nationally watched trial, where Murdaugh was accused of killing his wife and son, Hill allegedly committed what the South Carolina Supreme Court described as “shocking jury interference.” (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)
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The case was dismissed without prejudice, leaving Murdaugh the option to try again if he can bring a claim that meets the legal requirements.
Murdaugh had sued Hill under federal civil rights law, claiming her interactions with jurors violated his Sixth and 14th Amendment rights. He said he cashed out his 401(k) before trial and spent $600,000 on his defense.
Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and his youngest son, Paul, on his hunting estate in June 2021. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool, File)
The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Murdaugh’s murder convictions May 13 and ordered a new trial, finding that Hill’s conduct with jurors amounted to “shocking jury interference.”
