Alex Murdaugh retrial possibilities debated after court docket clerk Becky Hill faces fees

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Having trouble? Click here. Specialists disagree on whether or not Alex Murdaugh will get a murder trial do-over after former Colleton County, South Carolina, court docket clerk Becky Hill was charged with a number of felonies on Wednesday in two counties.

"The [suggestion] that Becky Hill is now in authorized bother helps Alex Murdaugh — I strongly disagree with that," former South Carolina Lawyer Normal Charlie Condon informed Fox Information Digital. "I feel the precise reverse is de facto true."

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) on Wednesday afternoon introduced that Hill, 57, has been charged with obstructing justice and misconduct in Colleton County and perjury in Richland County. The perjury cost stems from a lie she allegedly informed South Carolina Supreme Court docket Justice Toal in January 2024, when the justice dominated {that a} new trial was not mandatory for Murdaugh upon his attraction.

Charging paperwork state that when Toal requested Hill, "Did you enable anybody from the press to view sealed reveals?" Hill responded, "No, ma'am," which is seemingly inconsistent with proof obtained by authorities. In addition they accuse her of displaying sealed photographs to a reporter and utilizing her official place as Colleton County clerk for monetary acquire, particularly by selling her e book in regards to the Murdaugh case on social media.

MURDAUGH COURT CLERK BECKY HILL RELEASED ON BOND AFTER ARREST ON PERJURY, MISCONDUCT CHARGES

Colleton County, South Carolina, court docket clerk Becky Hill has been accused of tampering with the jury within the Alex Murdaugh double homicide trial. (Fox Nation)

A Colleton County jury in 2023 convicted Murduagh within the June 2021 murders of his spouse, Maggie, and son, Paul, on his household looking property. The disgraced private harm lawyer, whose household had a stronghold on the justice system in neighboring Hampton County for a few century, had requested the brand new listening to based mostly on allegations of jury tampering surrounding Hill, which Murdaugh's protection crew had argued warranted a new trial.

SLED's charging paperwork filed Wednesday, nevertheless, don't accuse Hill of jury tampering. Fox Information Digital has reached out to Hill's legal professional, Will Lewis, for remark.

FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA CLERK IN MURDAUGH MURDER TRIAL ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE FELONIES IN 2 COUNTIES

Condon stated he was "stunned by the costs" in opposition to Hill "and that they didn't embrace jury tampering."

Alex Murdaugh talks along with his protection legal professional Jim Griffin throughout a jury-tampering listening to on the Richland County Judicial Heart in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 29, 2024. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Submit And Courier through AP, Pool)

"That had been… the main target on the listening to for the retrial. Nothing in [Hill's charges] about jury tampering," he stated. "To my thoughts, it is a actually massive win for the state and an enormous loss for the protection as a result of a principal floor of their attraction could be this jury tampering, and the truth that there are not any fees in opposition to former clerk Hill for jury tampering tells me that the authorities checked out that and didn't imagine there was adequate proof to indicate that she tampered with the jury."

SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE DENIES ALEX MURDAUGH'S REQUEST FOR A NEW MURDER TRIAL

In the meantime, legal professional Eric Bland of Bland Richter LLP, who represented a number of jurors in Murdaugh's homicide trial and several other victims of his monetary crimes, informed Fox Information Digital that "the optics" of Hill's fees "bode effectively for Alex Murdaugh."

"Three of these fees which might be pending in Colleton County actually don't have anything to do with the trial. [Those are] actions that she took outdoors of that trial within the course and scope of her duties, benefiting from her workplace — obstruction exercise. That has nothing to do with it," Bland defined. "One cost in Richland County is a perjury cost. And it is perjury that does stem from the [January 2024] listening to the place Justice Toal rendered a call not giving a brand new trial to Alex Murdaugh."

Bland famous that Toal stated throughout the 2024 listening to that she didn't discover Hill's testimony completely credible and didn't take it into consideration when ruling in opposition to a retrial.

Colleton County, South Carolina, court docket clerk Rebecca Hill walks previous her daughter, who was singing at a celebration in Walterboro, South Carolina, on March 1, 2023. (Mark Sims for Fox Information Digital)

"On the finish of the day, that is going to be a authorized determination on attraction," Bland stated. "Was Justice Toal appropriate in making use of the South Carolina customary on juror interference by an official? And that, because the South Carolina customary says, you not solely have to indicate the juror interference, however it's important to present the impact that it had on the jurors and their verdict. I represented six of these jurors. Eleven of these jurors stated… something that Becky Hill stated did not have any impact on our verdict."

Of 12 whole jurors who discovered Murdaugh responsible in 2023, 11 stated Hill didn't affect their selections. One stated he heard the clerk make feedback about watching Murdaugh's physique language however stated her phrases didn't affect his verdict.

Even when Murdaugh had been to get his sentenced reversed and a retrial, he would nonetheless be serving the remainder of his life in jail for his monetary crimes, defrauding his legislation purchasers out of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, Bland famous.

WATCH: REBECCA HILL ON THE MURDAUGH VERDICT:

Each Condon and Bland stated Hill offered herself in knowledgeable method over the course of Murdaugh's homicide trial, together with one of many first days when a bomb menace shut down your complete courthouse and everybody inside needed to evacuate.

"She was very heat and interesting, and do not forget… she touches each facet of the trial," Bland stated. "She is answerable for the court docket personnel, the bailiffs. She's answerable for the clerk of court docket's workplace, the place all of the filings for the case go, and marshaling all of the proof. She's answerable for the jurors and ensuring that they get there on time they usually're snug they usually have one thing to eat. She participates in all of the conferences with the decide and the protection attorneys. So, she's aware of all the things. And I feel it simply obtained to her head."

WATCH: Becky Hill is requested whether or not she tampered with the jury

ALEX MURDAUGH COURT CLERK BECKY HILL MISUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON PAINT SUPPLIES, DOG BED, GIFTS: COMPLAINT

Condon equally stated the Colleton County courthouse is situated within the small city of Walterboro, which doesn't usually see high-profile felony trials just like the Murdaugh case.

Alex Murdaugh is led into Colleton County courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina on Jan. 31, 2023. (Mark Sims for Fox Information Digital )

"She most likely was making an attempt to be accommodating," Condon stated of the costs accusing her of sharing sealed photographs with a reporter. "She's a very nice woman, most likely making an attempt to assist anyone with their story. And once more, I do not suppose there was a malicious intent with that by any means. Having stated that... one would anticipate a clerk of court docket below these heightened circumstances to observe every rule, and the allegations present that she didn't. However I do not suppose it was accomplished with any evil intention."

Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, Murdaugh's defense attorneys, informed Fox Information Digital in a Wednesday assertion that whereas the costs in opposition to Hill "are critical, they don't seem to be stunning."

WATCH: ALEX MURDAUGH ATTORNEY DICK HARPOOTLIAN REACTS TO HILL'S ARREST

"Now we have lengthy raised our issues about her conduct throughout and after the trial and this arrest additional underscores the necessity to shield the integrity of the judicial course of. Each defendant is entitled to a good and neutral trial and we sit up for Alex Murdaugh lastly getting that truthful therapy," the attorneys stated.

Harpootlian informed Fox Information on Wednesday that he believes the costs in opposition to Hill will lead to a brand new trial for Murdaugh.

Hill was additionally beforehand accused of sending herself almost $10,000 in federal bonuses within the type of youngster help funds, in line with a discover of listening to. She used federal funds to provide meals and presents to court docket staff, together with "Easter Goodies," Mom's and Father's Day presents, and Valentine's Day presents; paint provides; flowers and decor; varied meals for herself; workplace furnishings; and pet food, canine bones and a canine mattress, amongst different objects.

Rebecca Hill arrives on the "Immediately Present" studio in New York Metropolis on March 6, 2023. Hill was the court docket clerk within the double-murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox Information Digital)

SLED charging paperwork make observe of the bonus funds.

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The previous court docket clerk, who held her place for about 4 years, resigned in March following allegations of jury tampering in the Murdaugh trial however maintained that her determination to go away workplace was not the results of her conduct throughout the double homicide trial.

"One other vital affect in our clerk's workplace was in 2023, after we needed to handle one of many biggest trials in South Carolina history. Our small city got here collectively and made everybody proud," Hill stated throughout a information convention on the time to announce her resignation. "Managing a trial with such significance to the individuals of South Carolina, in addition to to the nationwide and worldwide media curiosity and public scrutiny, has induced me to mirror upon selections involving my keep within the workplace of the clerk of court docket."

Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his spouse, Maggie, and youthful son, Paul, in June 2021, sits throughout a listening to on a movement for a retrial on the Richland County Judicial Heart in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 16, 2024. (Tracy Glantz/The State through AP, Pool)

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She added that her determination to not search re-election in 2024 would enable her to "concentrate on being a spouse, a mom and a grandmother," and that she needed to offer "ample time to different Republican candidates" within the place of Colleton County court docket clerk.

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Her former legal professional, Justin Bamberg, who has represented victims of Murdaugh's financial crimes, stated at a March information convention that Hill's determination had nothing to do with any pending investigations involving the clerk.