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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Nearly three years have passed since Alex Murdaugh, a former lawyer from Hampton County, was convicted of murdering his wife and son. Now, his legal team is set to present their case to the South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn these convictions.
While Murdaugh himself will not be present in the courtroom, his attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, are prepared to argue the appeal on his behalf. Representing the State in this high-profile case will be Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters, who played a key role in the original trial, alongside Attorney General Alan Wilson.
The hearing has once again drawn national attention to a case that has intrigued and shocked the public.
Back in March 2023, a jury in Colleton County found Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife, Maggie, and their youngest son, Paul.
Prosecutors in the initial trial contended that Murdaugh committed the murders due to overwhelming financial stress exacerbated by his opioid addiction. The defense acknowledged Murdaugh’s theft of millions from clients and his struggles with addiction but maintained that he was not guilty of murder. Ultimately, the jury sided with the prosecution.
Wednesday, Murdaugh’s attorneys will appeal the conviction in front of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
No new evidence or testimony will be presented during Wednesday’s hearing. Instead, attorneys are expected to focus on legal arguments outlined in motions filed by Murdaugh’s defense on November 6th.
The primary argument from Murdaugh’s defense team centers on allegations that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill improperly influenced jurors during the trial, allegedly making comments implying Murdaugh’s guilt before a verdict was reached. Defense attorneys argue that those actions caused prejudice and violated Murdaugh’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
Hill pleaded guilty last year to obstruction of justice and perjury in a separate case.
Attorneys representing victims in other crimes connected to Murdaugh say the court has to decide if the allegations rise to the level of jury interference.
“The question that both sides will have to answer is ‘did he get a fair trial?’” said Joe McCulloch. “The jury attention may very well focus on that very question whether or not, there was evidence, material and substantive and credible evidence of jury interference. Then the court must turn to deciding whether Justice Toal employed the correct procedure and the correct legal standards.”
Attorney Eric Bland who also represented several victims connected to Murdaugh explained where he thinks the appeal will focus.
“The issue on appeal is going to be’ Should Justice Toal have applied the federal standard?’ which was more liberal to getting a new trial, or the stricter standard of South Carolina?” said Bland. “I think that our state Supreme Court is not going to reverse the former chief justice, however, when the case gets to federal court, there may be a higher likelihood that the case will be reversed, and a new trial granted because it infringes on your sixth Amendment constitutional right to a fair jury trial.”
Murdaugh’s defense team is also arguing that allowing evidence of his financial crimes during the murder trial unfairly influenced the jury.
Attorney General Alan Wilson said he remains confident the conviction will stand.
“I stand by the work product of the Attorney General’s office,” said Wilson. “I’m not going to predict what the court will do, but I am guardedly optimistic that that we are going to be able to make our case to the court and that this case will hold up.”
Arguments on Wednesday will be limited to several 20-minute segments for each side. A decision from the South Carolina Supreme Court is not expected for several months.