Murdaugh lawyer ‘cautiously optimistic’ court clerk’s misconduct could pave way for new trial

Alex Murdaugh’s defence squad is "cautiously optimistic" that the disgraced erstwhile South Carolina lawyer could triumph a caller proceedings erstwhile the authorities Supreme Court hears arguments successful February, his lawyer Dick Harpootlian said.

Harpootlian, who represents Murdaugh alongside lawyer Jim Griffin, said the tribunal volition see 2 consolidated appeals erstwhile it hears oral arguments Feb. 11, 1 challenging a ineligible ruling made during the 2023 execution proceedings and different connected Court Clerk Rebecca "Becky" Hill’s alleged assemblage tampering.

"There’s 2 basal appeals that person been consolidated," Harpootlian said successful an interrogation with Fox News Digital. "One is the underlying proceedings – the ineligible method issues that you spot successful each appeal. And there’s an further entreaty that’s precise unusual: did the clerk of tribunal accidental things oregon bash things successful an effort to person the assemblage ballot guilty?"

Murdaugh was convicted successful March 2023 of murdering his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, astatine the family’s agrarian hunting property successful South Carolina’s idyllic debased state successful June 2021. He was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

Dick Harpootlian represented Alex Murdaugh during his 2023 execution trial. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)

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The 2nd entreaty centers connected Hill, who was accused of making comments to jurors during the proceedings that defence attorneys accidental were intended to power a blameworthy verdict. 

Hill pleaded blameworthy successful Colleton County Circuit Court to 4 charges — obstruction of justness and perjury for showing a newsman photographs that were sealed tribunal exhibits and past lying astir it — arsenic good arsenic 2 counts of misconduct successful bureau for taking bonuses and promoting done her nationalist bureau a publication she wrote astir the trial.

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Judge Heath Taylor sentenced Hill to a twelvemonth of probation. He told Hill her condemnation would person been overmuch harsher had prosecutors recovered that she had tampered with the Murdaugh jury. Harpootlian said Hill’s blameworthy plea bolsters the defense’s statement that her credibility is irreparably damaged.

"She pled blameworthy to perjuring herself, to lying nether oath during that hearing," helium said. "I deliberation that goes a agelong mode to showing successful appellate tribunal that immoderate she said shouldn’t beryllium believed."

Alex Murdaugh talks with his defence lawyer Jim Griffin during a jury-tampering proceeding astatine the Richland County Judicial Center, Jan. 29, 2024, successful Columbia, South Carolina. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

During the evidentiary hearing, aggregate witnesses testified that Hill made comments to jurors astir Murdaugh’s demeanor and testimony, including statements that defence attorneys reason crossed the enactment from medication into influence.

Hill has denied trying to sway jurors, but Judge Jean Toal ruled past twelvemonth that the defence failed to beryllium the comments affected the verdict. Harpootlian said the defence disagrees with that standard.

"The United States Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit person indicated we don’t person to amusement that it really influenced somebody," helium said. "We conscionable request to amusement that she said things that reasonably, objectively could person influenced a juror."

Defense lawyer Dick Harpootlian listens to John Marvin Murdaugh during the Alex Murdaugh treble execution proceedings astatine the Colleton County Courthouse successful Walterboro connected Feb. 27, 2023. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post and Courier/Pool)

Asked whether the defence squad was amazed by Hill’s blameworthy plea and sentence, Harpootlian said that the Murdaugh squad is "cautiously optimistic" successful their bid to get a retrial.

"There are a mates twelve antithetic issues that person to beryllium addressed," helium said. "Any 1 of which could springiness america a caller trial. We’re cautiously optimistic, but you don’t cognize until you get determination and perceive their questions."

"The integrity of the strategy matters," Harpootlian said. "And that’s what this entreaty is truly about."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Hill's attorney, Will Lewis, for comment. 

Harpootlian discusses the Pee Wee Gaskins lawsuit and his shifting position connected the decease punishment successful his caller book, "Dig Me a Grave: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer who Seduced the South," co-authored with Shaun Assael. (Handout)

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Harpootlian’s comments travel arsenic helium promotes his caller book, "Dig Me a Grave: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Who Seduced the South," a true-crime relationship of 1 of South Carolina’s astir infamous serial killers, Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins. The publication chronicles Harpootlian’s firsthand acquisition prosecuting Gaskins, who was executed successful 1991 aft confessing to astatine slightest 13 murders. He disposed of his victims' bodies successful the swamplands of coastal South Carolina.

While the cases disagree dramatically, Harpootlian said decades wrong South Carolina courtrooms person fixed him a position connected however the justness strategy operates.

In the book, Harpootlian describes Gaskins arsenic a acold much analyzable fig than the "two-dimensional" monster portrayed successful court.

"The tribunal and the assemblage saw a two-dimensional Pee Wee Gaskins, which was horrifying enough," Harpootlian said. "But helium three-dimensionally was overmuch much complicated."

Dick Harpootlian prosecuted Pee Wee Gaskins successful the 1980s. (Handout)

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Gaskins, a self-described slayer who bragged astir his crimes, cultivated a estimation successful his hometown of Sumter arsenic a friendly, adjuvant man.

"He appeared to beryllium affable, gregarious," Harpootlian said. "Everybody that knew him thought helium was conscionable a wonderful, affable guy."

"What radical deliberation they cognize from documentaries oregon TV is often precise antithetic from what really happens successful the courtroom," helium said.

Dick Harpootlian began his vocation arsenic a authoritative successful the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office successful the 1980s. (Handout)

Harpootlian said that helium precocious spoke with Gaskins’ daughter, Shirley, who turned her begetter successful and testified against him astatine his archetypal decease punishment trial.

"She told maine helium had to beryllium stopped," Harpootlian said. "But she thinks astir it each day. That was her father."

In "Dig Me a Grave," Harpootlian besides grapples with the toll of moving superior cases, including an occurrence soon earlier Gaskins’ execution erstwhile the slayer attempted to person Harpootlian’s young daughter, who was 4 years aged astatine the time, kidnapped successful a failed flight plot.

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Despite his discomfort with the decease penalty, Harpootlian said helium did not be Gaskins’ 1991 execution.

"What would I get retired of that different than watching different quality being die?" helium said. "I regret each death, and I’m surely not going to relish successful it."