By Staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a concerning incident, 26-year-old Desiré Nicole Griffin was taken into custody yesterday, following accusations of making severe threats to her former boyfriend.
According to the account provided to the Gainesville Police Department, a heated argument between the victim and Griffin escalated into violence, with Griffin reportedly slapping him and pulling out sections of his hair. The altercation took a more serious turn when the victim broke up with her via a text message sent early on July 11. In response, Griffin allegedly flooded the victim with about 50 messages across four different phone numbers. These messages contained menacing threats, ranging from plans to acquire a gun and kill him to setting his house ablaze and stabbing both him and his tires. One alarming message included the chilling statement, “Yall gone have to kill me tonight, we both gone die [tonight].” To heighten the threat, Griffin is said to have sent a video showing a knife and declared it was “brand new,” threatening to use it “tonight.”
The police officer involved in the case observed physical evidence, noting that chunks of the victim’s hair appeared to have been forcibly removed.
Despite an initial challenge locating Griffin due to her “currently unsheltered” status, the authorities successfully arrested her on July 12.
Griffin, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with making a written threat to kill, aggravated stalking with a credible threat, and domestic battery. She has four felony convictions (one violent) and four misdemeanor convictions (two violent). Judge Donna Keim set bail at $75,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Leeds United Intensifies Pursuit of New Goalkeeper and Defenders Following Harry Wilson Signing Ahead of Transfer Deadline
Leeds United are eagerly awaiting the outcome of their efforts to sign Southampton midfielder Shea Charles, with hopes of achieving clarity by this weekend.
Negotiations on Friday appeared to be moving in a positive direction, aiming to find common ground.
Despite Charles’s potential, many fans at Elland Road feel the club should focus on strengthening other positions, particularly with a need for a goalkeeper, center back, left-back, and striker.
Adding to the concerns, Karl Darlow’s transfer to Manchester United has sparked anxiety among supporters, as Leeds had hoped to retain him but could not ensure he would be the first-choice keeper.
Compounding these challenges is the interest from Torino in Lucas Perri, underscoring the urgency for Leeds to secure a reliable goalkeeper soon.
Parma’s Zion Suzuki is of interest but key is whether the Japan international is committed to joining Leeds amid interest from elsewhere, such as Aston Villa.
Parma and Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki is of interest to Leeds but has interest from Villa too
For now, Alex Cairns has signed a new two-year deal to at least ensure they have a guaranteed backup for when they do sign a No1.
Pascal Struijk’s sale to Brighton for £18m plus add-ons is reasonable business, when he looked unlikely to sign a new deal. The move went through on the final day of the three-year accounting window for PSR.
Leeds said Struijk’s transfer fee, along with the added income of a 14th-placed finish in the Premier League and a run to the FA Cup semi-final, ensured the club stayed within their PSR limits.
Leeds feel this vindicates their decision to keep the squad together last summer after winning promotion from the Championship.
But centre-back was already a weak point, and they need depth, particularly as Daniel Farke likes to switch to three.
Sebastiaan Bornauw could yet go and Max Wober who spent last year on loan at Werder Bremen, while winger Jack Harrison, who is one of their bigger earners, is in negotiations over a move to New England Revolution.
Ivory Coast international defender Ousmane Diomande at Sporting Lisbon would be Leeds’ ideal addition but expensive with a buyout clause at £68.9m.
Parma defender Mariano Troilo, a 23-year-old Argentine, fits their profile for signings and has been suggested.
Ousmane Diomande would be Leeds’ ideal addition but he would not come cheap
Switzerland’s Nico Elvedi at Borussia Monchengladbach has been proposed but is 29, lacking re-sale value, and would cost around £9m.
Generally, Leeds are excited by the position they are in with a good nucleus of a competitive Premier League squad already in situ. The signing of former Fulham forward Harry Wilson is also a coup considering the competition.
The 29-year-old faced media this week and was effusive in praise of how Farke has set Leeds up.
‘Speaking with the manager here, he’s told me I’m a player he’s watched for years and tried to get me at a couple of clubs in the past and obviously last summer as well. To have a manager, when he isn’t your manager, who watches you from the outside, that’s important.
‘I hope when I start to work with him on a day-to-day basis, I can show him what he’s seen from afar is true and hopefully we can do good things together.’
Harry Wilson is Leeds’ first signing of the summer, on a free transfer after his Fulham contract expired
Wilson pointed to how Leeds are now viewed as a real threat by opponents in the top flight, and how the partisan atmosphere at Elland Road serves them so well. They hope to improve that aspect further with plans for 2,000 capacity fan park opposite the Jack Charlton Stand.
That fan power and a couple more new signings will make them formidable competitors in Wilson’s view.
The pursuit of ex-Liverpool target Julian Brandt underlines that ambition but they still face work to convince the 30-year-old former Dortmund man.
At least Charles wants to join. Leeds have offered Southampton £23million plus add-ons and believe the Northern Ireland international can grow into a top midfielder.
Crystal Palace and Fulham, plus one other Premier League side, also hold interest but the focus for Charles is on Leeds.
Should a deal falter with Southampton pushing for £30m, Leeds would explore alternatives but despite links with Parma’s Mandela Keita, he is not understood to be an option.
Southampton want £30million for Shea Charles (left) but Leeds are hoping for a compromise
Similarly, rumours of a return for Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City have been scorched as he discusses a new deal with Sheffield United.
For left-back, Matt Targett had again been proposed following his departure from Newcastle but Leeds are assessing other options too and he is talking to West Ham and Norwich City.
A striker is needed to compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda has been discussed but, once again, Leeds feel others may represent better value.
Talks are ongoing for what will be a busy final six weeks of the transfer window.
Revamp of NY Alcohol Laws Aims to Dismantle Outdated Prohibition-Era Regulations
Cheers to change in New York!
A coalition of businesses has launched an initiative aimed at reforming New York State’s antiquated Prohibition-era alcohol regulations. These decades-old laws pose challenges to those looking to sell alcoholic beverages within the state.
The “Cheers for Change” campaign is receiving momentum from a combination of influential supporters, including the Business Council of New York State, liquor retailers, bars, restaurants, and leaders within the hospitality industry.
The proposed changes would see New York take the following steps:
Many of the state’s liquor rules date back to the years immediately after Prohibition ended in 1934.
Yet nearly a century later, businesses and consumers are operating in an entirely different 21st century economy, the coalition said.
Some of the old regulations have been updated, but much more needs to be done, the group said.
“New York has made real progress, and we applaud Governor Hochul, the Legislature and the State Liquor Authority for beginning the work of modernizing the state’s alcohol laws,” said Paul Zuber, executive vice president of the Business Council of New York State, in a statement.
“But there is still a long way to go,” he said. “New York’s hospitality economy, small businesses and consumers deserve a liquor law framework that reflects the realities of 2026 — not 1934.”
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said, “Updating the 200-Foot and 500-Foot Laws and modernizing tied-house restrictions will remove unnecessary barriers to opening and growing restaurants, bars, and other hospitality businesses, ensuring New York’s regulatory framework reflects today’s economy and consumer demand.”
Updating the state’s liquor law will help grocers and eateries, as well, the coalition said.
New York currently bars grocery stores from selling wine because of opposition from the liquor-store lobby.
During the past several years, the state has enacted a series of reforms, such as allowing more operational flexibility for restaurants and bars.
But some neighborhoods have complained about being inundated with bars and restaurants, and there will be resistance to scrapping or relaxing buffer zones between liquor establishments or near schools.
Any changes warrant scrutiny, said city Councilman Harvey Epstein, who represents the Lower East Side and East Village, where there is an abundance of establishments selling alcohol.
“We need a balance. We want to make sure there’s a dry cleaner, a dentist, a pharmacy, a card store in the neighborhood,” Epstein said.
The State Liquor Authority has recognized that New York’s alcoholic beverage laws remain burdened by outdated restrictions and that an overhaul is needed to support economic growth, job creation and consumer convenience,
A Hochul rep said the governor is on the case and already has scrapped some of the antiquated liquor laws.
“Governor Hochul remains committed to uplifting small businesses and supporting these vendors, including passing provisions in her FY27 budget that will protect retailers from unfair fees, help businesses open faster, streamline beer wholesale licensing and extend beverage services in movie theaters,” said Hochul rep Kassie White.
“Governor Hochul looks forward to working with all stakeholders during the next legislative session to build on this progress.”
The changes backed by Hochul include eliminating outdated restrictions on dancing and extending hours at bars and restaurants during events such as the FIFA World Cup.
In 2023, the Commission to Study Reform of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law issued a report recommending additional changes to New York’s ABC Law, including changes to tied-house restrictions and consideration of easing the the 200-foot and 500-foot laws.
“Cheers for Change supports continued action on those recommendations and believes they should serve as a roadmap for the next chapter of liquor law modernization in New York,” the coalition told The Post.
Lizzo Shares Insights on Her Personal Weight Loss Journey: ‘Discovering My True Self
Lizzo is opening up about her ongoing quest for better health and her weight loss journey.
“There are numerous factors at play. People often try to simplify it to a single idea, but multiple truths can exist simultaneously,” Lizzo, 38, shared in an interview with The Guardian. When discussing her decision to focus on weight loss, she explained, “I was at a point where my physical weight was causing me discomfort with joint pain and aches.”
The artist elaborated further, saying, “I reached a stage where I needed to disconnect from the internet, and with just my thoughts and the studio, I immersed myself into things I could manage. My body, my lifestyle, my routines… and this is the person I have become.”
Since 2024, Lizzo has been on a consistent weight loss path, often refuting claims that medications like GLP-1s, including Ozempic or Wegovy, played a role in her achievements. (These drugs are typically prescribed for those dealing with weight-related health issues. However, medical professionals have advised against using these controversial treatments for routine weight loss.)
Courtesy of Lizzo/Instagram, Lizzo is joyfully acknowledging both major milestones and minor victories in her deliberate weight loss endeavor. “I did it,” the Grammy-winning artist, 36, posted on Instagram on Saturday, January 25. “Today, stepping on the scale, I achieved my weight target.” She continued, “I haven’t seen this figure since 2014!”
For Lizzo, her weight has since fluctuated.
“I’ve gained 20 pounds since last year, so everyone can ask me about weight gain, too, if they’d like,” she told The Guardian, further detailing her worries about society’s hyper-fixation on physical appearance. “There’s a system of oppression that is constantly putting pressure on, especially women and especially women in the spotlight. That system is unrelenting and it is determined to make you feel shit about yourself. It won’t stop until you’ve bought every product and you’ve bought into every lie and turned it in on yourself. That system is working at an all-time high right now.”
According to Lizzo, she’s exponentially worried about the effects of such a system as “on the people it’s oppressing.”
Lizzo is opening up about her body transformation and whether she’s ever tried Ozempic. “I’ve tried everything,” the “About Damn Time” singer responded when asked whether she has used GLP-1 medications in the past to aid her weight loss during a Thursday, June 19, interview on Trisha Paytas’ “Just Trish” podcast. Lizzo, 37, has publicly […]
“We need to criticize the system and the mediums that are doing this and not the people it’s affecting because those people are human beings having a human experience,” she stated. “We should have grace and love and support for them.”
Lizzo has long preached body positivity and also chronicled her slim-down via social media.
“I’ve been methodical, losing weight very slowly,” the “Truth Hurts” artist previously told The New York Times in an April 2024 interview. ““I don’t really see it because if anyone who’s on a natural weight-loss journey knows, losing weight is actually the slowest thing in the world and you don’t really notice it until you notice it. Also, the scale’s not really moving. But anyway, that doesn’t matter. I’m super proud of my current lifestyle.”
Strategic Pivot: Trump Unleashes Strikes on Iran to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz Shipping Routes
In an effort to ensure the security of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, the United States has undertaken additional military strikes against Iran.
On Sunday, the US Central Command publicized that at 5 p.m. EDT, its forces initiated these strikes. The goal is to diminish Iran’s capacity to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels navigating through the Strait of Hormuz.
The directives for the strikes were issued by President Donald Trump, aiming to hold Iran’s military forces accountable. This announcement followed Trump’s national televised statement affirming the strait’s openness for passage.
In related reports, the governor of Qeshm Island, which is located near the strait, informed Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency that missiles targeted military sites. Thankfully, these actions resulted in no casualties. Meanwhile, explosions were reported in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas and in Hajiabad to the north.
An anonymous US official speaking to the Associated Press confirmed that several strikes were executed. These targeted missile and air defense systems, as well as paramilitary Revolutionary Guard boats. The intention was to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping lanes.
A spokesperson for US Central Command also claimed on CNN that Iranian forces had launched more attacks on commercial ships passing through the Strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
President Donald Trump directed additional strikes on Iran on Sunday to secure the Strait of Hormuz waterway
Shipping vessels are pictured in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday
The strait, which has long considered an international waterway, has become a sticking point in ceasefire negotiations.
As tensions remained, Iranian forces attacked a container ship in the strait, setting it ablaze and leaving one crew member missing on Saturday.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed revenge, saying: ‘Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.’
The US military then retaliated by hitting some 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment and other sites, the military said earlier on Sunday.
‘We bombed the hell out of them last night,’ Trump added to NBC’s Meet the Press.
Iran then responded with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman – the nation on the other side of the strait that Tehran has pressed to collaborate in managing shipping traffic.
But Iranian officials insist they alone must control the strait – and have the authority to potentially charge vessels for traveling through it.
‘The era of one-sided deals is OVER,’ Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and a main negotiator, wrote on social media.
‘We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.’
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also declared the strait closed until further notice after the attack, vowing to attack ‘additional enemy bases in the region’ if it faced more attacks.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and a main negotiator for the country, declared that Iran must maintain control of the Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command posted dramatic video earlier on Sunday of the retaliatory strikes against Tehran after the Middle Eastern country fired on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz
The US said that the munitions hitting the Iranian targets on Saturday had been launched by aircraft, drones and vessels
Iranian forces had claimed the Cyprus–flagged container ship that was targeted on Saturday, which American authorities named as the M/V GFS Galaxy, was attempting to use an unauthorized route to cross the strait.
Its attack on the ship came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart on Saturday to discuss the strait.
Araghchi explained that the meeting in Muscat, Oman, was meant to discuss ‘appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships,’ according to the Associated Press.
Omani and Iranian negotiators were set to continue talks ‘at the technical and political levels,’ Reuters reported, citing Oman’s state news agency.
But on Friday, President Trump said on Truth Social that while he had agreed to continue negotiating with Iran ‘the Cease Fire is OVER!’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement the following day, vowing to ‘avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,’ per Reuters.
‘Whether we are there or not, this will be accomplished, and soon every free person around the world will fulfill a part of this divine mission,’ Khamenei’s statement read.
Khamenei has not been seen since he was appointed Supreme Leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, when the war started.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei released a written statement, vowing to ‘avenge the blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers’
Despite the renewed strikes, the US military said more than 140 ships had transited the strait over the past week.
A multinational body overseen by the US Navy also said traffic continued ‘at reduced levels’ off both Oman and Iran, and that nearly 140 vessels transited daily before the war.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Preliminary Autopsy Findings Released on Senator Lindsey Graham’s Death by Medical Examiner
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and an advocate for assertive U.S. foreign policy, has passed away following a “brief and sudden illness.” He was 71 years old.
In a statement shared on social media early Sunday, Graham’s office expressed gratitude for prayers and requested privacy for the family during this challenging time. Additional details about the circumstances surrounding the influential South Carolina Republican’s death Saturday night were not disclosed. Graham, a former Air Force lawyer, dedicated over 30 years to congressional service.
A subsequent announcement from Graham’s office revealed that preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia indicated the senator died of an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This condition results in an aorta rupture caused by the hardening of the arteries.
Former President Trump, reflecting on his relationship with Graham, described him as “like a member of the family. It’s very tough.” In an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump mentioned that Graham had contacted him on Saturday night after returning from a trip to Ukraine, sounding “a little bit tired, but perfect.” In his honor, the president ordered flags nationwide to be flown at half-staff until Saturday evening.
Graham was renowned for his hawkish stance and played a crucial role in Washington’s foreign policy debates, advising Trump on pivotal issues such as the Iran conflict and relations with Russia. Just last Friday, he announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance a set of sanctions targeting Russia.
As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham also had a central role during Trump’s second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes while holding a narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber.
Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November. A new nominee will be selected in a special primary, which is required to be held within weeks of a vacancy. The winner of November’s general election will start a full six-year term in January.
Graham had a close, complicated relationship with Trump
Graham, elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, long promoted a policy of robust U.S. military interventionism and strong national defense that in later years would put him at odds with the growing isolationist wing of his party.
Over time, Graham became well-known for his close ties with Trump, whom the senator briefly ran against for the presidential nomination in 2016.
Their relationship would begin on a rough note, with Graham calling the then-New York businessman “unfit for office.” Graham used a profanity to describe Trump after Trump made disparaging comments about Arizona Republican John McCain, Graham’s best friend in the Senate and a Vietnam War veteran. McCain and Graham, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., were known as the “Three Amigos” and frequently traveled together to promote their foreign policy views around the globe.
During a campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump read out Graham’s personal cellphone number and continued to belittle him throughout the 2016 race as Graham made it clear he would not support Trump.
Graham, however, shifted significantly once Trump won the White House and emerged as one of Trump’s top allies — speaking with him frequently and becoming a regular presence on the golf course alongside the president — even as McCain remained a critic.
In a 2018 interview with The Associated Press, Graham explained his pivot by saying McCain taught him that the country must move forward after elections and that meant “you have an obligation” to help the president. McCain ran twice for the White House.
“And I’ve tried to be helpful where I could because I think he needs all the help he can get,” Graham said of Trump. “You can be a better critic when people understand that you’re trying to help them be successful.”
Graham was a prominent defender of Trump during the president’s two first-term impeachments — a reversal from Graham’s role as a House prosecutor during Democratic President Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998, when he urged senators not to make up their minds before listening to all of the arguments. Both Trump and Clinton were eventually acquitted.
Graham appeared to break with Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, saying in a dramatic speech on the Senate floor that night, “Count me out. Enough is enough.” But the senator soon returned to Trump’s side and the two remained close during Trump’s second term.
Foreign policy was a focus for Graham
Graham had just been in Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said the senator visited his country 10 times during the years since Russia invaded in February 2022. “Lindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer,” Zelenskyy said.
He was also one of the chief backers of Trump’s war in Iran, having advocated for years for direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Graham continued to defend Trump this summer even as many of fellow Republicans questioned a tentative June ceasefire agreement that they worried could send billions of dollars to Iran.
“I’d rather try diplomacy than take it off the table,” Graham said of Trump’s memorandum of understanding with Tehran.
Graham’s travels made him a familiar face to dozens of world leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States was inseparable.
“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said.
Graham led both the Senate Budget and Judiciary committees
As Budget Committee chairman, Graham helped oversee a Senate procedure that allowed Republicans to pass significant policies such as last year’s tax law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster.
He had previously led the Senate Judiciary Committee when Republicans confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in 2020. The senator was in line to regain that gavel if the party kept its majority after the midterm elections and had pledged to confirm “as many conservative judges as possible.”
Graham was a key player in the Senate’s efforts to craft a massive immigration overhaul in 2013 as a member of a bipartisan group. The legislation passed the Senate with 68 votes but was never taken up by the House, so it did not become law.
Graham’s views on immigration, particularly an endorsement of a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. without legal status, put him at odds with some Republican factions.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat who was his ally on that issue, said Graham was “part of every important policy issue and an indispensable player” in bipartisan negotiations.
An ‘irreplaceable’ force in the Senate
Graham often worked across the aisle, even as he remained fiercely loyal to Trump. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, said in a statement that “personal relationships often mattered more to him than the political disagreements of the day.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Graham was “over the moon” with the Russian sanctions deal announced Friday. “The last thing in the world I would have guessed was that he was sick or ill or in any way vulnerable,” Blumenthal said.
Jaime Harrison, a former national and state Democratic Party chairman who unsuccessfully ran against Graham in 2020, said that even during their “fiercest political battles” the two men “could still share a conversation, a laugh, and a mutual respect for South Carolina.”
Graham was unique in the Senate for his influence not only on Trump, but also with his fellow Republicans who were aware of his ability to sometimes move the president’s thinking. He was also known for his sense of humor, often deployed to diffuse tensions.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican, said Graham will be missed for his “quick wit and infectious laughter.”
McMaster said in a statement that Graham was “irreplaceable.” Former Republican President George W. Bush said Graham “understood how the world works” and “was a kind and funny man who loved our country and loved serving it.”
Graham often spoke about his humble roots, growing up in the back of a South Carolina bar and helping to raise his sister, Darline, after his parents died at a young age. Graham was not married and did not have children.
Special election to replace Graham could be within weeks
Graham won 57% of the GOP vote in South Carolina’s primary in June and was up against Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, and several minor party and independent candidates in November.
His death will likely prompt a scramble to fill a rare open Senate seat.
A number of Republican names began circulating as possible replacements to serve out the rest of Graham’s term, including Reps. Nancy Mace and Russell Fry.
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Republican leader, was hospitalized weeks ago for undisclosed health reasons.
Alex Murdaugh’s Legal Team Criticizes Clerk Becky Hill in New Court Filing
Attorneys representing Alex Murdaugh are vehemently opposing former Colleton County clerk, Rebecca “Becky” Hill, claiming she should face accountability for allegedly obstructing Murdaugh’s entitlement to a fair trial.
This assertion was part of a recent legal rebuttal by Murdaugh’s lawyers in response to Hill’s motion to dismiss a civil lawsuit that was filed against her in May.
Murdaugh’s legal representatives argued in their statement that Hill’s dismissal request fails to address the unanimous decision of the South Carolina Supreme Court. The court had found Hill, while serving as the Clerk of Court, covertly manipulated the jury, effectively depriving Murdaugh of his constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury trial. The legal team emphasized, “Ms. Hill now seeks the Court’s blessing to evade accountability for her actions. Such an outcome cannot stand.”
However, Hill has refuted any accusations of jury tampering or infringing on Murdaugh’s rights, as noted in her civil court documents, according to WCJL.
Supreme Court Ruled Becky Hill Impeded Murdaugh’s Right to Fair Trial
Murdaugh’s double murder conviction was reversed by the South Carolina Supreme Court in May, after determining that Hill—responsible for the jury’s integrity—had improperly influenced the proceedings, thereby skewing the balance of justice.
“Our justice system provides—indeed demands—that every person is entitled to a fair trial, which includes an impartial jury untainted by external forces bent on influencing the jury toward a biased verdict,” they wrote in the May 13 opinion. “Although we are aware of the time, money, and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial.”
Days later, Murdaugh’s attorneys—including Jim Griffin, Dick Harpootlian and Phillip Barber—filed a civil lawsuit against Hill, asking for $600,000 in damages to reimburse him for legal fees expended during the six-week murder trial in 2023.
“Mr. Murdaugh does not allege that Ms. Hill caused his prosecution,” his attorneys wrote in the recent filing, according to FITS News, “his pleaded injury is that the $600,000 he withdrew from his sole remaining asset to defend a constitutionally fair trial was rendered worthless because Ms. Hill corrupted the first attempt at a trial, forcing its vacatur.”
Hill argued in her own filings that Murdaugh’s financial losses could not be traced back to her alleged actions and therefore could not be linked to any harm, WCJL reported.
What is Becky Hill Accused of Doing in Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Trial?
During the trial, one female juror alleged in an affidavit referenced in the supreme court’s opinion that Hill told jurors “not to be fooled” by evidence presented by Murdaugh’s attorneys, urging them to watch Murdaugh “closely” and look at his actions before he took the stand in his own defense.
The juror added that she took the comments to mean that Murdaugh was guilty and felt influenced by Hill’s comments to return a guilty verdict.
“I had questions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt,” she admitted in the affidavit, “but voted guilty because I felt pressured by the other jurors.”
Murdaugh’s attorneys have asked the civil court to use the South Carolina Supreme Court’s contention that Hill had engaged in “shocking jury interference” and “violated Mr. Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial by an impartial jury” rather than re-argue the issue in civil court proceedings.
They also argued that Hill’s request to dismiss the lawsuit centered on damages and immunity defenses rather than addressing whether or not she had violated Murdaugh’s rights.
“Ms. Hill’s motion is a makeweight damages motion,” they argued, “masquerading as a motion to dismiss.”
U.S. district judge Richard Gergel will now be tasked with deciding whether to dismiss the lawsuit or allow it to proceed.
Hill pled guilty in December to charges of obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that had been part of a sealed court record as well as two counts of misconduct in office, according to CNN. The misconduct charges were based on allegations that Hill took bonuses and promoted a book she wrote on the trial using her public position.
When Will Alex Murdaugh Be Retried For Murder?
Murdaugh was convicted in March 2023 of killing his wife Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh and youngest son Paul Murdaugh at the family’s sprawling Colleton County hunting compound in 2021. Both family members were discovered shot to death by dog kennels on the family’s property.
Murdaugh continues to maintain his innocence. After the supreme court’s decision to overturn the verdict, he is expected to go on trial again in April 2027, according to The Associated Press. He has pleaded not guilty.
Murdaugh is already serving a 40-year prison sentence for federal charges of fraud, money laundering, and other financial-related crimes. He is also serving time for state-level financial crime convictions.
Keystone Pipeline Agrees to $26.9 Million Settlement for 2022 Environmental Spill
In a recent announcement, the federal government unveiled a proposed settlement for the Keystone Pipeline’s owners and operators, stipulating a payment of $26.9 million in civil penalties. This action comes as a result of a significant oil spill in December 2022, which poured almost half a million gallons of crude oil into a creek in Kansas.
Additionally, the settlement mandates the company to invest approximately $40 million in preventative measures to avert future incidents, as detailed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Department of Justice and the state of Kansas, has accused the pipeline operator, South Bow, a company based in Canada, of breaching both U.S. and Kansas state clean water regulations. This proposed settlement aims to address and resolve these allegations.
The incident in 2022 resulted in around 13,000 barrels of heavy crude oil being released into a creek that winds through a rural pasture area in Washington County, Kansas, approximately 150 miles away from Kansas City.
Marking the most extensive onshore crude pipeline spill in the United States in nearly a decade, the accident outstripped all prior 22 spills on this pipeline system combined, as highlighted by a 2021 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. The oil spill volume was nearly equivalent to filling an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
South Bow also would pay Kansas more than $3 million for environmental restoration projects under a proposed decree filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas. A judge would have to approve the proposal after a 30-day public comment period.
“The oil spill blanketed land and water, rendering the waterway lifeless and useless and requiring extensive cleanup and remediation,” Jeffrey Hall, the EPA’s assistant administrator for its enforcement office, said in a statement. “The substantial penalty reflects the seriousness of the environmental harm.”
South Bow officials did not respond immediately Sunday to a phone message and email seeking comment, but the company told The Canadian Press that it “proactively” began cleaning up the area before receiving directives from U.S. officials. The cleanup was completed early in 2024.
The company that built the pipeline, TC Energy, spun off South Bow as a separate firm in 2024, after the Kansas cleanup was done.
No pipeline workers or area residents were injured, and officials said public water supplies weren’t affected by the spill. However, a complaint filed Friday by the U.S. government along with the proposed settlement said more than 2,700 animals were harmed or killed. The area is home to an endangered species, the long-eared bat.
In a May 2023 report for the U.S. government, an engineering consulting firm said that a bend in the Keystone system where the spill occurred had been “overstressed” since its installation in December 2010 — likely because construction activity itself altered the land around the pipe. The complaint filed Friday in court said soil under the pipe had been “improperly compacted” and that while the company re-excavated the site in 2013, it did not replace that section of pipe.
The 2,689-mile Keystone system carries thick, Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.
In April, President Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for South Bow and another company to build a second pipeline from Canada to Wyoming, a smaller version of a massive $8 billion pipeline project known as Keystone XL blocked by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021 over environmental concerns.