In a 5-0 ruling, the South Carolina Supreme Court said Murdaugh deserved a new trial because the local county clerk had unfairly biased a jury against him.
“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 justices 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.”
The ruling cites a number of comments that Hill allegedly made to jurors during the trial.
One juror wrote in an affidavit that Hill made comments telling jurors to “watch [Murdaugh] closely”, which she said influenced her to find Murdaugh guilty because she thought the clerk was implying he was.
