Alex Murdaugh’s lawyers file appeal accusing ousted South Carolina court clerk of influencing jury

Lawyers for lawyer-turned-convict Alex Murdaugh filed an appeal against his conviction Tuesday, saying improper testimony and alleged jury tampering by court clerk Becky Hill “affected the trial with unfairness.”

Murdaugh, 56, is serving a life sentence for the deadly crime shooting his wife maggieand youngest son, Paul, in June 2021 his family’s hunting property In Colleton County, South Carolina.

Prosecutors argued that their killings were an attempt to divert attention Murdaugh’s growing financial crimesWhich started coming into light at almost the same time.

This April, the disgraced legal scion was sentenced to two life terms in prison for conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, five counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 14 other counts, plus an additional 480 months. Money laundering.

Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh used his power and family influence in the Lowcountry to take on clients’ cases, get them “significant money” and then keep a substantial portion of the earnings for himself.

But in their 132-page appeal filed Tuesday, Murdaugh’s lawyers argue that their client’s financial crimes should not have been included in his first murder trial, saying they were irrelevant and painted him in a bad light. could have had a negative impact on the jurors.

The appeal also charges former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill, who resigned Jury tampering allegations In Murdaugh’s case, this led jurors to convict him.

Of the 12 jurors who convicted Murdaugh of murder in March 2023, 11 said Hill did not influence their decisions. One said he heard the clerk comment about watching Murdaugh’s body language, but said his words did not influence his decision.

Judge Gene Toole ruled in January that the charges against Hill were not sufficient to grant the defendant a new trial on murder charges.

Murdaugh’s lawyers argued against that decision in his appeal.

Hill, who is accused of 76 ethics violations, was expected to face the state ethics commission on Dec. 19.

But that hearing is on hold pending a criminal investigation by the attorney general’s office, the State newspaper reports.

The appeal also alleges that prosecutors introduced into evidence several guns that had no connection to the murders, and that gunshot residue on a raincoat shown as evidence in court was a proof of any evidence that their client was involved. Were not connected to.