After the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s conviction, he is back in court for a new murder trial and now has a better chance of being acquitted. Conviction 2023That’s according to attorneys who spoke to the New York Post.
The disgraced South Carolina attorney was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole after killing his wife Maggie and son Paul in 2021. But in a dramatic ruling Wednesday, the state Supreme Court unanimously agreed overturned the verdictciting misconduct by former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill.
The ruling ordered a retrial and reopened one of the country’s most high-profile murder cases.
What the lawyer disclosed
Columbia defense attorney Tyler Bailey told the New York Post that Murdaugh’s legal team now has the benefit of the doubt following a highly publicized first trial.
“[Murdaugh’s defense lawyers] can try to attack the case from different angles,” Bailey said, adding that the defense now has a better understanding of the public’s perception of the case.
Bailey believes Netflix’s years of documentaries, commentary and media attention may actually help the defense prepare a revised strategy for a retrial.
Also read: Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction overturned: 5-0 unanimous verdict in 2021 murders of wife and son
Defense attorney Dane Phillips similarly said changes in expert testimony and courtroom presentations could “significantly improve” Murdaugh’s chances of acquittal compared to the original trial.
Why jury selection may be difficult
Even if the conviction is overturned, attorneys acknowledge that prosecutors still have substantial evidence against Murdaugh.
Phillips said one of the biggest challenges may be finding impartial jurors after years of media coverage. “It’s almost impossible to find 12 people who knew nothing about this case,” he said.
What began as a six-week murder trial became one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in South Carolina history and inspired multiple documentaries, podcasts and television specials.
Also read: Alex Murdaugh vs Becky Hill: Meet the judge behind explosive photo leaks and murder retrial
Supreme Court cites staff misconduct
The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Hill improperly influenced jurors during the original proceedings, writing that she “put her finger on the scale of justice.”
Hill later pleaded guilty to charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct related to sharing sealed crime scene photos and promoting her book about the trial.
The court also ruled that prosecutors gave what the defense called “unfair prejudice” by giving too much testimony about Murdaugh’s financial crimes in the murder case.
Murdaugh’s attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, said the original jury heard “more than 12 hours” of testimony related to financial misconduct.
Despite murder conviction overturned, Murdough Not expected to be released from prison soon. He served time in federal and state prisons for financial crimes after admitting to stealing millions of dollars from clients.
