Disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, convicted of two murders and numerous fraud charges, has filed an appeal against his federal prison sentence. A federal appeals court announced this week that it may hear the appeal as early as this fall.
Following his March 2023 convictions for the June 2021 killings of his wife and son and a guilty plea on state fraud charges, Alex Murdaugh pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in September 2023. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. Despite agreeing to a 22-count, no-contest federal plea deal that generally prohibits appeals, Murdaugh’s attorneys filed an appeal on July 11.
Ironically, Murdaugh, convicted of shooting his family members multiple times with high-powered hunting weapons and stealing from injured clients, widowers, orphans, and paraplegics, based his appeal on the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits excessive and cruel or unusual punishments. The appeal argues that the 40-year federal prison term “represents a death sentence for the 55-year-old Murdaugh.”
On Monday, July 29, the United States Court of Appeals issued an order indicating they would hear this appeal from South Carolina’s district in another state. Written motions will be accepted until August 5, and in-person oral arguments may be heard from October 29 to November 1 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, unless rescheduled.
A panel of appellate judges, rather than a single judge, will hear the appeal. The impact of this appeal on Murdaugh’s incarceration remains uncertain. Murdaugh’s attorneys claim that Judge Richard Gergel and federal prosecutors sought such a lengthy federal term to ensure Murdaugh would remain behind bars for life, regardless of the outcomes of any state appeals or retrials.
Comparison of Similar Cases: Murdaugh and Candy Kern Sentences
The contrast between Alex Murdaugh’s and disbarred South Carolina attorney Candy Kern’s sentences highlights the disparities in our legal system.
Candy Kern, the former managing partner of an Easley-based law firm, defrauded veterans and retirees of over $31 million for nearly a decade. When victims realized they were being scammed and refused to pay, Kern took them to court. The state Supreme Court unanimously disbarred the 55-year-old Anderson resident for her “egregious misconduct” in an opinion released on June 20.
Kern pleaded guilty last April and was sentenced to five years of probation and about a year and a half of home detention. Despite the vast financial damage and betrayal of trust, Kern received a far more lenient sentence compared to Murdaugh.
Final Thoughts
As Crime and Cask continues to follow these developments, the appeal of Alex Murdaugh’s federal prison sentence and the sentence of Candy Kern underscore the complexities and perceived inconsistencies in the justice system. Stay tuned for more updates as we delve deeper into these high-profile cases and strive to uncover the truth.