Prosecutors in South Carolina are pushing back hard against Alex Murdaugh’s request to relocate his trial to Charleston, labeling the defense’s stance of “Charleston or nothing” as both logistically complex and unnecessarily costly.
In a court filing submitted on Wednesday, state officials implored the court to dismiss Murdaugh’s pursuit to designate the revered “Holy City” as the sole appropriate alternative venue for his trial.
They argue that despite Charleston’s prominence in industry, arts, and tourism, it poses the greatest logistical challenges in South Carolina for managing a case of such prominence.
The trial for Murdaugh is provisionally slated to commence in April 2027.
Alex Murdaugh seeks to have his retrial relocated to the jurisdiction of Charleston County, South Carolina. (iStock; Pool)
Prosecutors filed a laundry list of logistical hurdles, pointing out that downtown traffic and parking are already difficult on a standard business day without an influx of jurors, witnesses, media and onlookers.
The filing also noted that spring tourist season, coupled with Masters week traffic, would drive local hotel costs to more than double or triple those of comparable areas. Additionally, prosecutors warned that heavy spring storms and king tides regularly paralyze the downtown area with flooding.
Prosecuting attorney Creighton Waters participates in a judicial hearing June 29, 2026, at the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center in Lexington, S.C. (Tracy Glantz/The State via Pool)
The defense originally sought a venue change, citing the widespread attention surrounding the first trial, but prosecutors contend that the county immediately bordering Colleton County undermines the very rationale behind the request.
While the state remains open to reasonable alternatives like Spartanburg, York or Florence, it said Murdaugh is not entitled to a change of venue simply due to the heavy news coverage.
The state’s response came after Murdaugh’s defense team filed its bid to move the trial to Charleston County, citing extensive local publicity, deep-seated local family ties and tainted courthouse integrity regarding the Colleton County Clerk of Court misconduct.
State Judge Debra McCaslin oversees a judicial hearing June 29, 2026, at the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center in Lexington, S.C. (Tracy Glantz/The State via Pool)
Murdaugh is expected to appear for a pretrial hearing Friday at 10 a.m. in the Lexington County Courthouse.