Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill, alleging that her conduct during his 2023 double murder trial violated his right to an impartial jury and led to the overturning of his convictions.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina days after the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously threw out Murdaugh's convictions for the 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie, and their son, Paul, and ordered a new trial.
In its 5-0 ruling, the high court found that Hill subjected jurors to improper external influences, concluding that her actions egregiously undermined Murdaugh's credibility and deprived him of a fair trial, according to CNN.
The court said those violations were serious enough to nullify the guilty verdicts and the life sentence imposed after the high-profile proceedings.
Murdaugh's lawsuit accuses Hill of reckless or callous indifference to his constitutional rights, alleging that she secretly and intentionally interfered with jury deliberations for personal gain.
According to the filing and prior court records, jurors reported that Hill told them not to be "fooled" or "misled" by the defense, urged them to watch Murdaugh's demeanor on the stand, and suggested the case should not take long to decide, the Independent reported.
The suit argues that these comments amounted to an effort to steer the panel toward a guilty verdict while she held a position of authority over them.
The complaint also echoes earlier defense claims that Hill sought publicity and financial benefit from her role in the trial, including by allegedly sharing confidential information and later promoting a book about the case, which drew national attention and inspired the Netflix series "Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal."
Murdaugh's attorneys say he has suffered at least $600,000 in damages tied to Hill's actions and is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees and costs.
Hill, who has previously denied intentionally influencing the jury, has since pleaded guilty to separate charges, including obstruction of justice and misconduct in office related to her conduct around the trial, but she has not yet responded publicly to the new lawsuit, and no hearing dates have been announced, as per ABC7.
