COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — In a significant ruling, an appeals court in South Carolina has granted Alex Murdaugh the opportunity to request a new trial and have his murder convictions and life sentence thrown out. Murdaugh’s legal team raised concerns that the court clerk, Rebecca Hill, influenced the jury during the trial. This concise decision on Tuesday paves the way for a comprehensive hearing where key witnesses, such as Rebecca Hill, the jurors, and Judge Clifton Newman, can testify under oath. The scheduling and details of the hearing will be determined at a later date.
However, even if his conviction is overturned, Murdaugh will not be released from prison. Last month, he pleaded guilty to financial crimes, including embezzling millions of dollars from vulnerable personal injury clients and the settlement of the family of his deceased maid. As he awaits sentencing for these crimes, it is highly likely that he will spend many years, if not decades, behind bars.
Murdaugh’s defense attorneys filed the appeal after receiving reports from three jurors who claimed that Rebecca Hill advised them not to trust Murdaugh’s testimony during his defense. They alleged that Hill, responsible for assisting the jurors and ensuring a smooth trial, engaged in private conversations with the jury foreperson and coerced the jurors to reach a speedy verdict.
According to defense lawyers Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, Hill questioned jurors about their views on Murdaugh’s guilt or innocence, instructed them to disregard evidence presented in his defense, including his own testimony, lied to the judge to remove a potentially non-guilty-voting juror, and pressured jurors to deliver a guilty verdict promptly to benefit herself. The attorneys welcomed Tuesday’s ruling, expressing their intention to proceed quickly towards a complete evidentiary hearing.
Rebecca Hill has made minimal public statements regarding the allegations, and her attorney did not respond to inquiries on Tuesday. Neil Gordon, co-author of Hill’s self-published book titled “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” urged people to give Hill the presumption of innocence that Murdaugh was entitled to during the trial. According to Gordon, Hill is described as a professional, soft-spoken individual who never exerted any pressure on anyone, as evidenced by numerous unsolicited comments from trial attendees and media.
Hill’s book delves into how her Christian faith helped her navigate the sudden fame and responsibility brought about by the Murdaugh trial. She stated that she became convinced of Murdaugh’s guilt when jurors and court officials visited the location where the shootings occurred. Hill wrote about her anxiety as she prepared to read the verdicts, expressing her concern about the possibility of Alex being found innocent despite her conviction in her heart that he was guilty.
During the six-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than three hours. One juror stated that Hill informed them they would be accommodated at a hotel if they failed to reach a verdict by 11 p.m., creating distress among jurors who had not packed for an overnight stay. According to the defense motion, some jurors also claimed that Hill prohibited smokers from taking cigarette breaks until a verdict was reached.
Juror 630, in a sworn statement, stated, “I had questions about Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt but voted guilty because I felt pressured by other jurors.” The juror further alleged that Hill pushed the jurors to communicate with reporters she had befriended after the trial.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, responsible for prosecuting Murdaugh, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday’s ruling.
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