The South Carolina Supreme Court has agreed to review a January 2024 bench ruling that denied disbarred attorney and convicted murderer Richard “Alex” Murdaugh a new murder trial.
Murdaugh’s legal team has submitted over a dozen legal filings and evidentiary exhibits to the S.C. Court of Appeals, including trial and hearing transcripts, a letter of protest from lead counsel Richard Harpootlian to Justice Toal, and an affidavit from one of the jurors selected during the 2023 double murder trial.
Murdaugh continues to deny involvement in the 2021 shootings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh and is now asking the highest courts in South Carolina to review the rulings of the recent evidentiary hearing that resulted in the denial of a new murder trial.
Murdaugh’s motion for certification under Rule 204(b) asks the Supreme Court to certify this case for review by the Supreme Court itself before the S.C. Court of Appeals hears it. The motion contends that Murdaugh’s case meets both “significant public interest” and a legal principle of major importance warranting certification under Rule 204(b).
Murdaugh’s attorneys argue that the jury tampering hearing appeal deserves to be heard by the state Supreme Court due to the shocking alleged actions of a public official, the public’s high interest, and the question of proper legal standards involving disputes between state and federal standards.