Alex Murdaugh sues court clerk after murder conviction overturned over jury tampering accusations

Alex Murdaugh sues court clerk after murder conviction overturned over jury tampering accusations

The 17-page federal complaint was filed after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned his double-murder conviction

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Alex Murdaugh's double murder conviction overturned amid jury tampering claims

Legal experts Donna Rotunno and Josh Ritter discuss Alex Murdaugh's possible retrial after his double murder conviction was overturned. South Carolina's Supreme Court cited alleged jury tampering by County Clerk Becky Hill as the cause for the decision.

Alex Murdaugh, a disgraced lawyer whose double-murder conviction was overturned, has filed a lawsuit alleging his civil rights were violated when court clerk Rebecca "Becky" Hill tampered with the jury at his trial.

The 17-page lawsuit was filed in federal court in Columbia, S.C., on Monday morning.

"Neither Mr. Murdaugh nor his counsel knew at the time of trial that Ms. Hill—the elected Clerk of Court for Colleton County, the officer of the court charged as the primary caretaker of the jury—had secretly and deliberately inserted herself into the jury's deliberative process for personal financial gain," the lawsuit said.

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The South Carolina Supreme Court said Becky Hill allegedly engaged in "shocking jury interference" during the proceedings in which Alex Murdaugh was accused of murdering his wife and son. (Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool)

Last week, the South Carolina Supreme Court delivered an account of how Hill’s conduct during the 2023 double-murder trial crossed ethical and constitutional lines, ultimately unraveling the state’s conviction of Murdaugh.

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"Both the State and Murdaugh's defense skillfully presented their cases to the jury as the trial court deftly presided over this complicated and high-profile matter," the court wrote. "However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury."

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X @s_rumpfwhitten

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