Convicted murderer Richard “Alex” Murdaugh is relentless in his legal quest for a new trial in the June 2021 killings of his wife and son, taking his fight to the highest courtrooms in South Carolina.
Murdaugh, now a disbarred attorney serving state and federal sentences for numerous financial crimes he has confessed to, continues to deny any involvement in the shootings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh. He is now requesting the South Carolina Supreme Court to review the rulings from a recent evidentiary hearing that denied him a new murder trial. On Wednesday, July 10, Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a “Motion for Certification Under Rule 204(b)” with the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
Photo: (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
The motion petitions the S.C. Supreme Court to certify this case for review by the Supreme Court itself before it is heard by the S.C. Court of Appeals. This action can be taken if a case meets certain legal standards, such as “significant public interest or a legal principle of major importance.” The motion argues that Murdaugh’s case satisfies both criteria, given its international attention and the crucial legal question it raises: Should Murdaugh’s appeals for a new trial be judged by state or federal legal standards?
Murdaugh’s motion states, “This case concerns an issue of significant public interest and a legal principle of major importance warranting certification under Rule 204(b). The issue of significant public interest is whether the verdict returned after Mr. Murdaugh’s internationally televised murder trial should be overturned due to unprecedented jury tampering by a state official, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court. The legal principle of major importance is whether it is presumptively prejudicial for a state official to secretly advocate for a guilty verdict through ex parte contacts with jurors during the trial or whether a defendant, having proven the contacts occurred, must also somehow prove the verdict would have been different at a hypothetical trial in which the surreptitious advocacy did not occur.”
Adding to the momentum of Murdaugh’s appeal is the forthcoming book “Because Enough is Enough” by Crime and Cask and Juror 785. This book promises to provide new insights that could demonstrate how Murdaugh’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated. It aims to present compelling evidence that could sway public opinion and the South Carolina Supreme Court, showing that the judicial process was severely compromised and that a new trial is warranted.
Photo: Because Enough is Enough, Crime and Cask and Juror 785
Stay tuned to Crime and Cask for the latest updates on Alex Murdaugh’s ongoing legal battles and the fight for justice.