All articles tagged with #south carolina supreme court
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s two life sentences for the 2021 murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, ordering a retrial after finding county clerk Becky Hill improperly influenced the jury; the decision remands the case for a new trial, a development that has reportedly angered Murdaugh’s son Buster who fears reliving the trauma and notes growing strain in their relationship.
South Carolina’s Supreme Court vacated Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder conviction, ordering a new trial after ruling a county clerk’s prejudicial remarks and outside influence compromised the defendant’s fair-trial rights; the court also criticized the judge for admitting unrelated financial-crimes evidence. Prosecutors plan to retry Murdaugh, who remains imprisoned for a separate 40-year federal sentence and is not slated for release.
South Carolina’s Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence, ruling that a trial clerk improperly suggested he was guilty and attacked his credibility. Prosecutors say they will retry him on the murder charges, likely in 2026, while he remains in prison for unrelated financial crimes; the court also warned next time about limiting evidence related to the financial crimes.
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh's 2023 murder convictions for the killings of his wife and son, citing the Colleton County clerk's improper influence on the jury and remanding the case for a new trial; Murdaugh remains imprisoned for related financial crimes, and Hill has since pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and perjury in a separate case.
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions for the killings of his wife Maggie and son Paul, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk Becky Hill’s improper external influences on jurors, and remanded for a new trial in a 5-0 decision. Murdaugh remains serving life sentences for the murders and has faced related financial crimes; Hill later pled guilty to related charges. The ruling sets the stage for a fresh trial in a case that has drawn widespread public and media attention.
Attorneys for Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted of murdering his wife and son, have asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to remove Judge Clifton Newman from the case. They argue that Newman's involvement as a witness in matters related to a potential new trial and his public comments about Murdaugh create a conflict of interest. The defense team also wants Newman barred from presiding over any future cases involving Murdaugh, including an upcoming financial crimes trial. The attorneys have repeatedly requested Newman's recusal, but he has declined. The South Carolina Attorney's Office has not yet responded to the motion.
Alex Murdaugh, a convicted killer in South Carolina, has won a suspension of his conviction appeal as he seeks a new trial over allegations of jury tampering. The state's Supreme Court granted his motion to hold the appeal in abeyance while the circuit court addresses his claim that the clerk at his murder trial pressured jurors to find him guilty. Murdaugh's defense team alleges that the clerk improperly counseled jurors and engineered the removal of a juror who leaned towards a not guilty finding. They plan to seek a full evidentiary hearing on the matter. Murdaugh was convicted in March of murdering his wife and son and was sentenced to two life sentences without parole.
The South Carolina Supreme Court has suspended Georgetown County Magistrate James McKenzie for repeatedly failing to report for duty at the Georgetown County Magistrate Court. Chief Justice Donald Beatty called this a dereliction of duty and stated that it undermines the fair administration of justice. McKenzie's suspension is effective immediately and without compensation from Georgetown County. The court order will be distributed to all summary court judges, urging them to evaluate their own procedures and be present during working hours.
Attorney Todd Rutherford is urging convicted killer Jeriod Price to turn himself in after he failed to return to custody following a reduction in his sentence from 35 to 19 years. Price was convicted of killing college football player Carl Smalls Jr. in 2002. The South Carolina Supreme Court ordered Price to return to custody on April 26, but he did not comply. Sheriff Leon Lott has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Price's arrest.