In a recent court hearing, Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial was denied by a South Carolina judge. The defense team had accused a clerk of court, Becky Hill, of tampering with the jury, but the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that these alleged comments influenced the jury’s guilty verdict.
During the hearing, one juror, identified as Juror Z, testified that Hill urged the jurors to closely observe Murdaugh’s actions and body language during the trial. According to Juror Z, these comments made Murdaugh appear guilty, and they influenced her decision to convict him. However, the other 11 jurors stated that they based their guilty verdicts solely on the testimony, evidence, and law presented at the trial. Only one of them mentioned hearing anything similar from the court clerk.
All 12 jurors were called to testify during the hearing, with each providing their account of the events. While some jurors mentioned hearing Hill’s comment about watching Murdaugh’s body language, they maintained that this did not change their minds regarding the guilty verdict. It was clear that their decisions were primarily based on the evidence presented during the trial.
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Becky Hill, the clerk of court, vehemently denied ever discussing the case or Murdaugh with any of the jurors. However, her credibility was questioned when she admitted to using “literary license” in her book about the trial. This raised concerns about her truthfulness and cast doubt on her previous statements.
In her ruling, Judge Jean Toal set a challenging standard for Murdaugh’s defense team. They were required to prove that Hill’s potential misconduct directly influenced the jurors’ decision to find Murdaugh guilty. The defense argued that even subtle influence could have deprived Murdaugh of a fair trial, regardless of whether a juror openly admitted to their verdict being affected.
Toal’s decision not to allow the defense to call the trial judge, Clifton Newman, as a witness further complicated their efforts. The defense believed that Newman’s testimony could shed light on the impact of the alleged jury tampering. However, Toal limited the scope of the hearing to focus solely on the contact between the court clerk and the jurors.
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Jury tampering is a crucial aspect of Murdaugh’s appeal, but the judge’s ruling has made it challenging for his defense team to prove misconduct. Even if they were to succeed, Murdaugh would not be immediately released, as he is also serving a 27-year sentence for embezzlement. This sentence came as a result of his admission to stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and clients.
Nevertheless, Murdaugh maintains his innocence in the murder of his wife and son. He continues to argue that he did not kill them, and he testified in his own defense during the trial. If his appeal fails, his lawyers plan to raise multiple issues regarding the fairness of his murder trial in subsequent appeals, including the judge’s allowance of extensive testimony related to his financial crimes.
The denial of Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial by a South Carolina judge has dealt a blow to his efforts to challenge his murder conviction. The allegations of jury tampering made by his defense team were not substantiated, as the jurors maintained that their guilty verdicts were based on the evidence presented during the trial. While Murdaugh’s appeal process continues, he remains incarcerated for his embezzlement conviction. The outcome of his legal battle will determine his fate in the murder case, as he adamantly proclaims his innocence.
