The South Carolina Supreme Court has decided to send Alex Murdaugh’s murder case back to a lower court for retrial. This marks the beginning of another legal battle in the Lowcountry. A new court docket cites this action as a ‘Remittitur’ for Richard Alexander Murdaugh, dated May 29.
This remittitur means the case returns to the trial level. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the court will now focus on the upcoming murder proceeding. They will schedule hearings, revisit pretrial motions, manage evidence disputes, and set a potential trial date.
Murdaugh, a former South Carolina attorney from a powerful legal family, faced conviction in 2021 for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, at their Colleton County estate.
In May, the South Carolina Supreme Court ordered a retrial, overturning the prior conviction. Alex Murdaugh appeared with his legal team during jury selection at the Colleton County Courthouse on January 24, 2023. He could face 30 years to life imprisonment if convicted again.
The return of the case does not ensure an immediate retrial. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson expressed his intention to retry the case swiftly. He aims to bring it back to court within a year, though a precise timeline remains uncertain.
“Look, I’m being aspirational when I say this, but we would like to try to get this case up before January 2027. That would be our goal,” said Wilson.
Lead defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, plans to pursue a change of venue, lawyer-led jury questioning, and possibly juror sequestration. He mentioned the ability to examine potential jurors’ social media before selection.
Murdaugh’s retrial follows the Supreme Court’s decision that Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill improperly influenced jurors during the six-week trial. This ruling led to overturning his conviction in the deaths of his wife and son. Despite this, Murdaugh remains in prison for financial crimes.