Legal Justice
Prosecutors in homicide trial of ex-lawyer Murdaugh can introduce proof of alleged monetary crimes, decide guidelines
South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh prepares for jury choice to renew throughout his homicide trial on the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, on Jan. 23. Photograph by Joshua Boucher/The State through the Related Press.
Prosecutors within the double homicide trial of once-prominent South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh might introduce proof of his alleged monetary crimes to rebut protection proof of fine character, a decide dominated Thursday.
Choose Clifton Newman of Kingstree, South Carolina, mentioned he was permitting the proof as a result of protection attorneys “opened the door” to character testimony after they requested a witness whether or not he might consider a purpose why Murdaugh would have killed his spouse, Maggie, and his son Paul, BuzzFeed News reviews.
“The protection within the case has primarily been that the defendant has such an important character that he couldn’t probably have dedicated these offenses,” Newman mentioned. “That’s been a common thread from the opening assertion all through.”
Alex Murdaugh. Photograph from the Hampton County Detention Middle through the Related Press.
Murdaugh has been accused of stealing settlement cash from the household of his late housekeeper, of insurance coverage fraud for trying to stage his capturing dying, and of stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from legislation purchasers and his legislation agency.
The murders occurred June 7, 2021, the deadline that his agency had given him to account for lacking cash, in accordance with BuzzFeed Information. Prosecutors declare that Murdaugh dedicated the murders to shift the main focus from himself as his monetary crimes got here to gentle.
Newman is having hearings outdoors the presence of the jury to think about what sort of proof prosecutors might use. Jeanne Seckinger, the chief monetary officer of Murdaugh’s former agency, testified in one of many hearings Thursday.
Seckinger mentioned she confronted Murdaugh on the morning of the murders about $792,000 in lacking funds, CNN reviews.
Murdaugh was additionally going through a lawsuit by the household of a 19-year-old woman killed when Murdaugh’s boat, pushed by Paul, struck a bridge piling. Murdaugh’s monetary data might have been uncovered in that case.
On Wednesday, two witnesses recognized Murdaugh’s voice on video taken by Paul at 8:40 p.m. on June 7, 2021, CNN reviews in a separate story. Prosecutors say the video was taken solely minutes earlier than the murders have been thought to have taken place.
Paul learn a textual content on his cellphone at 8:48:59 p.m., in accordance with testimony Tuesday recounted by People. Paul obtained a textual content 36 seconds later that he didn’t learn. Maggie obtained a textual content 28 seconds later that she didn’t learn.
Murdaugh referred to as police at 10:07 p.m. to say he discovered the our bodies of his spouse and son, in accordance with Folks. He has maintained that he was visiting his mom when the murders occurred.
On Wednesday, prosecutors launched movies displaying that Murdaugh was sporting a blue button-down shirt and pants about an hour earlier than the murders, Folks reviews. When he referred to as police, he was sporting a white T-shirt and shorts.
Murdaugh was disbarred in July 2022. The trial is happening in Walterboro, South Carolina.
See additionally:
ABAJournal.com: “Legislation agency staffers have been first to suspect once-prominent lawyer Murdaugh was stealing consumer cash, accomplice testifies”
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer is charged with insurance coverage fraud for allegedly hiring ex-client to kill him”
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer accused of staging his personal capturing now faces allegations of stealing settlement payout”
ABAJournal.com: “As soon as-prominent lawyer Alex Murdaugh is indicted for murders of his spouse and son”
