Alex Murdaugh Lawyers Claim Fame-Hungry Clerk Rebecca Hill Tainted Jury
The Daily BeastSep 05, 2023
The Facts
Lawyers for Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina attorney who was convicted of murdering his wife and son, filed an appeal with the South Carolina Court of Appeals on Tuesday, requesting a new trial and accusing the Colleton County clerk of jury tampering.
Murdaugh was convicted in March for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, after a six-week trial in which he testified in his own defense. He was sentenced to life in prison but has denied any involvement in the killings.
The Spin
Narrative A
Rebecca Hill completely violated her duty as clerk of court by trying to pressure jurors into ruling against Alex Murdaugh and even disqualifying a juror who she believed might rule in his favor. She obviously was interested in pushing a quick trial and a guilty verdict so that she could rake in cash on a book deal. Hill’s actions disgraced South Carolina’s justice system and completely violated Alex Murdaugh’s civil right to a fair trial.
Narrative B
Rebecca Hill has an outstanding sense of ethics and would never disgrace her elected position just to profit off a book deal. Murdaugh’s attorneys have ignored key facts about Ms. Hill’s book and the context behind it. This is a reckless legal move.