Topline
The trial clerk in Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial “placed her fingers on the scale of justice” and tampered with jurors, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, after Murdaugh’s attorneys accused the court official of using her position to promote her tell-all book about the case.
Attorneys argued the court clerk advised jurors not to believe Murdaugh’s defense.
TNS
Key Facts
The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Wednesday to overturn Murdaugh’s murder convictions in the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and his son, Paul, in 2021 and ordered a new trial in the case.
Justices said Murdaugh was denied the right to a fair trial because of Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill’s “improper external influences” on the jury.
Attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian appealed Murdaugh’s convictions in September 2023, citing sworn statements from three jurors, including one juror who claimed Hill told jurors to “watch [Murdaugh’s] actions” and “watch him closely.”
The juror later testified that Hill told the jury “not to be fooled” by Murdaugh’s attorneys, which the juror said made them believe Murdaugh would lie during testimony.
Griffin and Harpootlian claimed Hill influenced jurors to secure a book deal and media appearances that would be unavailable if Murdaugh was found not guilty, and justices said the Barnwell County Clerk of Court, who assisted Hill in the trial, testified that Hill wanted to write a book about the case and that a guilty verdict “would be the best way to sell books.”
Prosecutors failed to prove that Murdaugh’s trial was not influenced by Hill’s “highly improper comments,” justices wrote, accusing Hill of a “breathtaking and disgraceful effort” to undermine jurors.
The South Carolina Supreme Court Ruling In Murdaugh’s Appeal
“For six weeks in early 2023, the eyes of the nation focused on Colleton County, where the State prosecuted notorious former attorney Richard Alexander Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Both the State and Murdaugh’s defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter.
“However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. Our justice system provides—indeed demands—that every person is entitled to a fair trial, which includes an impartial jury untainted by external forces bent on influencing the jury toward a biased verdict.
“Although we are aware of the time, money, and effort expended for this lengthy trial, we have no choice but to reverse the denial of Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial due to Hill’s improper external influences on the jury and remand for a new trial. Because we order a new trial on this basis, it is not necessary that we review every evidentiary issue Murdaugh raises on appeal from his conviction. However, we address the admissibility of Murdaugh’s financial crimes to offer guidance on this thorny issue to the trial court on remand.”
Surprising Fact
Hill was charged in May 2025 with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct for her actions during the trial. Prosecutors alleged Hill made available photographs that were sealed evidence, which “potentially impeded” the trial, used her position as the clerk of court to promote her book, “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders,” and lied during testimony during Murdaugh’s appeal for a new trial. Hill pleaded guilty in December 2025 and was sentenced to three years of probation.
Tangent
Murdaugh’s attorneys separately argued that prosecutors improperly focused on financial crimes that Murdaugh was accused of. During the murder trial, prosecutors pointed to evidence of Murdaugh’s financial crimes as a possible motive, while Murdaugh’s attorneys claimed this motive did not make logical sense. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that, while prosecutors should be allowed to present evidence for Murdaugh’s financial crimes, their presentation should be “limited” in a future trial.
Key Background
Murdaugh, 57, was sentenced to two life sentences after he was convicted on two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during a violent crime. He also faces concurrent state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years, after Murdaugh pleaded guilty to dozens of financial crimes. Murdaugh’s lengthy murder trial, which spanned more than five weeks and featured testimony from Murdaugh, captivated the country and has been adapted to books, podcasts and a Hulu miniseries.