Alex Murdaugh jury tampering allegations: SC Attorney General, Clerk Becky Hill respond

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office filed an answer and a "motion to strike" in response to convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh's recent requests for a new trial and a new judge over allegations of jury tampering.

Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife and son March 2 after a six-week trial in Walterboro, but the legal battles involving the disgraced lawyer are far from over. After filing an appeal, Murdaugh then levied jury tampering allegations against Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill and, most recently, filed for a new trial and a new judge to oversee his cases.

On Nov. 7, the AG's Office, which is prosecuting all of the more than 100 state criminal cases involving Murdaugh, filed a 25-page response to Murdaugh's motions that include an affidavit from Hill denying each allegation.

SC AG files motion to strike against Alex Murdaugh

After asking the SC Court of Appeals to stay his appeal on Sept. 5, Murdaugh filed the motion for a new trial and new judge with the S.C. Supreme Court on Oct. 27 — and all of this is based on claims that Hill attempted to influence the jury's verdict and had improper contact with jurors.

The State's response today asks the higher court to either deny Murdaugh's motion for a new trial or, barring that, hold an evidentiary hearing where those allegations can be proven "not credible."

In its response, the State calls Murdaugh's claims "broad" and based on statements from one juror who was "removed for dishonestly concealing her own improper communications about the case, and two "hearsay affidavits" from Murdaugh's counsel's own paralegal.

The State further argues several key points:

• Murdaugh "advances a sweeping conspiratorial theory about wholly irrelevant Facebook posts with scant evidence to support it.

• While jury tampering allegations are serious and may require an evidentiary hearing, the law does not permit "highly motivated convicts" to put their own jury on trial.

• Juror 785, who was dismissed from service after alleged improper communications outside the courtroom, is now making allegations against Hill, despite telling a different story when questioned earlier, during the trial.

• Murdaugh's counsel did not object when Juror 785 was dismissed for improper contact with others.

• Juror 785, who claims Hill tried to influence her, was not on the jury that deliberated Murdaugh's guilt or innocence.

• No other juror clearly collaborates statements made by Juror 785.

• Certain statements attributed by Juror 630 to Hill closely resemble statements made during the trial by State prosecutors.

• Two of the affidavits Murdaugh's legal team are using to support their argument are from Holli Miller, a paralegal working for Murdaugh attorney Richard Harpootlian. The State claims that they are inadmissible hearsay.

• Affidavits regarding a juror's thoughts about evidence are not admissible under state criminal codes and procedures.

• The State moves to strike Murdaugh's claims that Hill tried to influence the jury in order to get a guilty verdict and a "book deal," adding that "Only Alex Murdaugh could conceive of such a confounded gambit as evenly remotely plausible, and he is projecting his own calculating, manipulative psyche onto a dedicated public servant in order to save himself."

• None of the other jurors who were willingly interviewed about the allegations by state police reported feeling any pressure or influence to reach their verdict.

Becky Hill signs affidavit denying jury tampering allegations

After the allegations surfaced, state police questioned Hill and the majority of the jurors. Attached to the State's filing is an affidavit signed by Hill denying the numerous allegations made by Juror 785 and Murdaugh's legal team.

Among many claims, Hill denies:

• Telling the jury "not to be fooled," "watch him closely," look at his "actions" and "movements" in regards to Murdaugh during the trial.

• Telling the jury "this shouldn't take us long" to reach a verdict.

• Ever discussing evidence, witnesses and the substance of the trial with the jury.

• Having private conversations with a juror in a bathroom.

• Handing out media business cards to the jury during the trial.

• Asking jurors their opinions on Murdaugh's guilt.

• Threatening a juror and her husband.

• Withholding smoke breaks from jurors until they reached a verdict.

Also attached were affidavits from nine jurors who, while they don't agree on every detail, all state that they did not feel pressured in any way by Hill to reach a guilty verdict.

Also attached to support the State's case are affidavits from several of Hill's court staff.

It is unclear when the S.C. Supreme Court will rule on these motions, and if or when a hearing on these matters might be scheduled.

Continue to follow Michael DeWitt's coverage of the Murdaugh crime saga, and follow him on Twitter at @mmdewittjr

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Becky Hill, SC AG respond to Alex Murdaugh jury tampering allegations