COLUMBIA, S.C. — The legal saga of Alex Murdaugh dominated headlines this year, arguably becoming the biggest story of 2023, but it’s not over yet.
January 29 has been sent for when the convicted murderer will go back to court to argue why he deserves a new trial. Former South Carolina Chief Justice Jean Toal will preside over the trial.
Murdaugh is currently serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son in 2021 and has also been sentenced to 27 years on financial charges. But Murdaugh’s legal team filed a motion for a new trial on the murder trial, claiming Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill tampered with the jury before they rendered their verdict.
Sarah Ford, a local attorney, said Murdaugh's attorney will have to prove concrete actions took place that would warrant the previous verdict being set aside.
"The appearance of impropriety is not going to be enough," Ford said. "If they can show that there were improper communications, that people were influenced by the clerk of court, that things were said that obviously should not have been said and that caused people to vote in a certain way. Then I do think a new trial will be granted.”
Included in the Murdaugh's defense's motion were alleged statements from two jurors, who both claimed Hill tried to influence their decision. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was investigating those claims, but so far has not released any of their findings.
According to Ford this is not something you see everyday in a courtroom.
“For there to be a post trial evidentiary hearing, this doesn’t happen very often," Ford said. "My understanding is there will be at least three days of testimony that the defense will be bringing forward some folks to testify. There were a number of affidavits that they filed as part of their request for a new trial. so Justice Toal will be hearing from them, will be hearing from the state."
Hill was recently accused of plagiarizing parts of her book written about the trial. Her attorneys later admitted that some material was taken from another work, calling it a "lapse of judgement: on Hill's part on her part. They also said she apologized and took for responsibility for what happened.
“Certainly all of the drama that’s gone on recently, including these allegations of plagiarism and really Becky Hill admitting to plagiarizing, that really goes to her credibility so whether something happened or it didn’t that certainly doesn’t look good,” Ford said.
The hearing to consider a new trial will begin on January 29th in Richland County and is expected to last three days.