Alex Murdaugh judge warns against courtroom 'circus' as defense wins DNA fight, loses ballistics bid

Key Points:

• Judge Debra McCaslin reprimanded both prosecution and defense in Alex Murdaugh’s double-murder retrial for contentious evidence disputes, emphasizing that the proceedings must remain orderly.
• The judge allowed the defense to conduct DNA testing on swabs from Maggie Murdaugh’s phone, citing due process, but denied a broader request for ballistic data and a list of crimes involving .300 Blackout ammunition, calling the latter speculative and burdensome.
• McCaslin corrected the record regarding a polygraph claim made by Murdaugh’s attorney, clarifying that Murdaugh failed a polygraph related to financial crimes and has never taken one concerning the murders.
• The court ordered the state to provide raw data from shell casings and 3D crime scene scans but limited future discovery demands, warning both sides to maintain candor and avoid repeated requests.
• The judge rejected the defense’s motion to compel evidence related to alleged police involvement in handling the murder weapons, deeming such claims uncorroborated and speculative, with former prosecutor Joshua Ritter calling it a “wild goose chase.”