Alex Murdaugh sues court clerk for jury tampering after convictions overturned

Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has filed a civil lawsuit against a court clerk, days after a panel of judges overturned his murder convictions, ruling that the clerk improperly influenced the jury against him.

Murdaugh, convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul, may now receive a new trial in that criminal case.

In his civil complaint, Murdaugh alleges that Colleton County Clerk Rebecca Hill “secretly and deliberately inserted herself into the jury’s deliberative process for personal financial gain.”

He seeks compensation for damages he suffered, including $600,000 (£446,000) he says he paid his legal team for his defense.

Prosecutors have stated they intend to retry Murdaugh, but no new court dates have been set.

Once a powerful attorney, the 56-year-old and his legal saga captivated a global audience, inspiring documentaries, podcasts, and book deals. The six-week trial over the June 2021 killings was televised and drew crowds of true-crime enthusiasts.

However, in a unanimous 5-0 ruling last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court determined Murdaugh deserved a new trial because Hill denied him “his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.”

The justices cited several remarks jurors reported Hill made to them, including telling them “not to be fooled” by the defense team’s evidence.

A few months after Murdaugh’s trial, Hill published a tell-all book about the court proceedings.

In the civil suit, Murdaugh’s lawyers reference many of those remarks from Hill that the Supreme Court included in its ruling.

Murdaugh’s attorneys claim Hill biased the jury for her own financial gain.

“She wanted to write a book about the most high-profile trial in South Carolina history so she could buy a lake house. And, as the South Carolina Supreme Court found, she believed a guilty verdict ‘would be the best way to sell books,’” the attorneys wrote.

Last December, Hill pleaded guilty to charges of misconduct in office, obstruction of justice, and perjury over allegations that she misused public funds as a clerk and shared sealed court information with a reporter, among other claims.

Murdaugh has consistently denied killing his wife and child. During his trial, the jury heard accusations that for years he had been stealing from his law partners and clients to fuel an addiction to painkillers and an extravagant lifestyle.

Prosecutors argued that he killed his wife and son in an attempt to conceal years of financial corruption.

He is currently serving two additional sentences of 27 and 40 years for state and federal financial crimes.