Murdaugh sues court clerk who interfered with jury at his trial
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal lawsuit against Becky Hill, the former clerk of court, accusing her of interfering with the jury in his 2023 murder trial, which led the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn his double murder convictions.
- The 17-page lawsuit claims Hill violated Murdaugh’s civil rights under state law, seeking compensatory and punitive damages, including $600,000 for monetary losses related to his defense.
- The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Hill’s "shocking jury interference" deprived Murdaugh of a fair trial, noting she acted as a character witness for the state and urged jurors to find him guilty.
- Hill pleaded guilty in 2025 to perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct related to leaking sealed evidence and promoting a book about the trial, receiving three years probation, but has not been charged with jury tampering.
- Despite the vacated murder convictions, Murdaugh remains incarcerated on separate state and federal sentences totaling 67 years for financial crimes involving theft from clients and his law firm.