Alex Murdaugh appeal hearing to happen Feb. 11: What to watch for

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WTOC) - On Wednesday, the case of Alex Murdaugh will return to a courtroom, this time before five South Carolina Supreme Court justices. A WTOC reporter will be in the courtroom for it.

Murdaugh is not expected to be at the hearing, but his defense team will be fighting for him to get a new murder trial.

During that appeal hearing in Columbia, Murdaugh’s team is expected to argue that introducing the financial crimes into the case was harmful, that there were errors in the initial investigation, and that former Colleton County Circuit Clerk Becky Hill had an impact on the verdict.

It has been over three years since Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and son in Colleton County.

Since that conviction, Murdaugh has pleaded guilty to financial crimes, but has maintained his innocence when it comes to the murders.

“I’m innocent. I would never hurt my wife Maggie,” Murdaugh said. “I would never hurt my son Paw Paw.”

His case returns to the courtroom, and one big issue his defense team will focus on in front of the South Carolina Supreme Court will be the former Colleton County Circuit Clerk, Becky Hill.

Murdaugh’s team said Hill improperly influenced jurors during the original trial in 2023 by making comments implying Murdaugh’s guilt to jurors.

A judge in a 2024 hearing determined that the comments made by Hill did not influence the jury’s eventual guilty verdict, and her statements were not credible.

Hill has yet to be charged with jury tampering charges, but she has pleaded guilty to perjury, obstruction of justice, and misconduct in office based on statements made on the stand at that 2024 hearing.

“At any time did you have any conversations with any juror in which you tried to influence their decision?” Creighton Waters, Lead Prosecutor, asked Hill at the 2024 hearing.

“I did not have a conversation with any juror about anything related to this case,” Hill responded.

Murdaugh’s defense will also argue that the financial crimes against their client should be limited or excluded entirely from the murder trial. The state countered, stating these crimes were properly allowed in court to explain Murdaugh’s alleged motivation. His defense team also exposed the failures of the initial investigations. Following Murdaugh’s sentencing in 2023, Jim Griffin spoke on these failures.

 “U.S. Supreme Court cases are clear that post-arrest silence cannot be used against you, and that is a classic violation of the Fifth Amendment.”

Jim Griffin, Murdaugh Defense Attorney

At the upcoming hearing on Feb. 11, it is not expected that the Supreme Court justices will deliver a decision from the bench. The ruling will be released after the justices deliberate at a later time.

Three possible outcomes could come from this hearing: the current murder conviction and sentencing are upheld, his case is sent back to a lower court for further proceedings, or convictions are reversed, and a new trial is ordered.

For coverage on this case from the beginning, click here.