Alex Murdaugh trial latest: Prosecution finds ‘significant disputes’ in convicted murderer’s jury tampering claims
Follow updates after convicted killer appears in court on financial fraud charges
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Prosecutors have responded to Alex Murdaugh’s motion for a new trial on the grounds of jury tampering allegations at his murder trial, stating that South Carolina investigators have found “significant factual disputes” with the claims.
The response filed on Friday by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson concedes a hearing may be needed to decide if the killer should get a new trial - but moved to dismiss the motion for a “procedural defect” in the filing.
It’s the state’s first response to the bombshell motion filed by Murdaugh’s attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian last week that accused Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill of pressuring jurors to return a guilty verdict.
An investigation was launched by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which the AG claims is still ongoing, but has said has “revealed significant factual disputes as to claims in (Murdaugh’s) motion.”
On Thursday, a smiling Murdaugh appeared in court for the first time since he was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul, this time to face a string of financial fraud charges.
Judge Clifton Newman set a trial date for 27 November.
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FULL STORY: Alex Murdaugh appears in court for first time since murder trial sentencing
Alex Murdaugh appeared before a judge in a South Carolina courtroom on Thursday for the first time since he was hauled away after being sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul earlier this year.
The disgraced attorney was shackled and handcuffed but smiled as he entered the courtroom in Beaufort County before he shuffled to the defence table wearing a bright orange jumpsuit.
Murdaugh once again stands before Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw his murder trial back in March, but now faces a slew of financial fraud charges.
Judge Newman set Murdaugh’s trial date for November 27 on charges for allegedly stealing insurance payments meant for the family of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after a fall at the Murdaugh family property in 2018.
The Independent’s Andrea Cavallier has the story:
Alex Murdaugh appears in court for first time since murder trial sentencing
The disbarred South Carolina attorney is already facing two life sentences for the June 2021 murders of his wife Maggie and son Paul
Court back in session: Russell Laffitte back at defence table
Russell Laffitte is now back at the defence table for his status hearing.
His attorney told the judge that Laffitte is appealing his federal conviction and that hearings in that case are likely to be set for October or November.
“I don’t see physically how I can try this case with this client this fall – not only with this appeal but with this discovery,” he said.
Laffitte hired new attorneys in January following his November conviction in federal court.
The state is pushing for the trial to take place this year.
South Carolina State Rep Todd Rutherford speaks to court
South Carolina State Rep Todd Rutherford is one of Laffitte’s attorneys.
He told the judge that there are 41,000 documents in the case and so there is no way they can prepare quickly for a trial.
He is instead asking the judge to delay a trial until the fall of 2024.
Before Laffitte’s hearing, Mr Rutherford was seen standing and shaking hands with Murdaugh as the convicted killer entered the courtroom.
No trial date set for Russell Laffitte
Judge Clifton Newman said that he will defer the decision on setting a date for Russell Laffitte’s trial.
Following the back and forth from the defence and the state – and the ongoing matters in Laffitte’s federal case – the judge said that he would make a ruling at a later date.
The court has gone on a five-minute recess.
Happening now: Cory Fleming in court for sentencing
Cory Fleming, a former attorney and alleged accomplice in Murdaugh’s financial fraud schemes, is being sentenced on Thursday on a string of financial fraud charges.
Fleming pleaded guilty to a string of 23 state charges last month.
The charges – which include breach of trust with fraudulent intent, money laundering, computer crimes, and criminal conspiracy – stem from Murdaugh’s scheme to steal money from the estate of his dead housekeeper Gloria Satterfield.
He was also involved in stealing money from the family of Hakeem Pinckney – a man whose family Murdaugh represented after he was killed in a car crash.
Prior to the state case, Fleming also pleaded guilty to federal charges in May.
Last month, he was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on the charges and is currently serving his sentence.
Prosecutor: Don’t be fooled by Fleming’s claims he was fooled by Murdaugh
In the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Creighton Waters urged the judge not to be fooled by Fleming’s claims that he was fooled by Murdaugh into stealing.
Mr Waters said that Murdaugh “recruited” Fleming to steal from the families of Hakeen Pinckney and Gloria Satterfield.
The attorney was hired to represent the families and then “behind the scenes colluded with the defendant”.
“What Mr Fleming wants the court to believe is… that he was tricked and fooled by Mr Murdaugh like everyone else,” said Mr Waters.
However, he said that Fleming was stealing from his clients even before these cases with Murdaugh.
“One of the things we uncovered was that Mr Fleming had been stealing checks from his clients all the way back to 2012,” he said.
“So when he tries to say I stole a little bit but was hoo-dood by Mr Murdaugh” he asked the court not to believe it.
Fleming used money he stole from Pinckney family to fly on private plane to party
Cory Fleming used some of the money he stole from a client to fly on a private plane to party, said Mr Waters.
The Pinckney family were in a car wreck in 2009. The devastating crash led to Hakeen’s death and Pamela’s ongoing injuries.
Mr Waters said that, after representing the family, it “doesn’t take [Fleming] long to steal some checks and fly on a private plane to the college World Series.”
“He bills it as a medical expense – it was a private plane to go party with Ms Pinckney’s money,” he said.
The fake Forge scheme
Murdaugh set up a fake firm called Forge – supposed to imitate a legitimate company under the same name – where he and his accomplices siphoned off money from clients.
For the Satterfield family, Murdaugh and Fleming secured payouts from insurance companies Lloyd’s of London and Nautilus Insurance Company and then sent almost $4m in stolen money to the fake company.
“It was a shakedown, plain and simple,” Mr Waters said of Fleming and Murdaugh’s treatment of the Satterfield family.
What happened to the Pinckney family?
The Pinckney family were in a car wreck in 2009, leaving Pamela suffering ongoing chronic injuries and her son Hakeem paralysed. Hakeem later died from his injuries.
Following the devastating crash, Murdaugh and Fleming represented the family.
The attorneys ultimately stole around $1m by misappropriating funds from settlements.
Among the stolen money, Fleming and Murdaugh used some funds to take a private plane to the College World Series together to party.
Satterfield family addresses court
Tony Satterfield – the son of Gloria Satterfield – is addressing the court.
“I still forgive Mr Fleming,” he said.
Satterfield’s sister also addressed the court and said that the family forgives Fleming.
“Gloria did not die in vain as her case brought out other corruption and dishonest misdeeds being done to others,” she said, adding that it brought corruption “to light”.