Murdaugh criminal, civil cases back in court in August. Here's what's happening

August will be a crucial month in the criminal and civil cases surrounding convicted murderer and accused fraudster Richard "Alex" Murdaugh.

The month will likely shape future outcomes of other cases in this multi-faceted legal drama and leave a lasting impact on a small Lowcountry county already shell-shocked by an internationally followed crime saga.

Murdaugh's primary accomplice, convicted former Hampton banker Russell Laffitte, is expected to be sentenced to federal prison next month, and a wrongful death suit involving Murdaugh's murdered son is expected to go before a jury after four eventful years unless pending pretrial motions delay it further.

With other criminal cases and civil complaints waiting to be heard, the outcome of these two legal proceedings will no doubt set the tone for future trials and have far-reaching impacts.

And in the center of all of this lies several devasted Hampton County families, and a community torn apart.

Russell Laffitte federal sentencing date set

Just as disbarred, legacy attorney Murdaugh's fall from grace heralded the demise of his family's three-generation legal and political dynasty, Laffitte's criminal case disgraced a Lowcountry banking family that traces its roots back over a century in Hampton County.

After being indicted by both state and federal grand juries for his role in assisting Murdaugh with a decade-long, financial crime spree in which more than $8.7 million was stolen from Murdaugh's clients, partners and family, Laffitte was found guilty in U.S. District Court in Charleston on six federal charges Nov. 22, 2022. The charges included bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit those frauds.

Laffitte's attorneys quickly filed an appeal, and later filed two motions for a new trial, alleging improper jury dismissal, but all were denied. His latest appeal was denied April 10 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Gergel.

The federal court system has now set a sentencing date for Laffitte: Judge Gergel, who oversaw his federal trial last year, is scheduled to sentence the former Palmetto State Bank CEO at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1 in Charleston Courtroom #6, U.S. Court House, 85 Broad St, Charleston.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Laffitte faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on all charges, but it is unclear if the judge will give him the maximum or show leniency. While Laffitte is a first-time, non-violent offender, among the people he and Murdaugh allegedly stole from were juveniles who lost their mother in a car crash and other people who suffered grievous injury.

In addition to federal prison time, which typically does not grant parole, Laffitte will also be required to pay restitution to his victims, according to recent federal court filings. Prior to his conviction, the terminated banker still owned nine percent of the stock in the family's banking enterprise, which included several banks in multiple Lowcountry counties, according to state court filings.

While Laffitte was first indicted on similar state crimes in 2022, a court date has not been set for those charges.

Laffitte was heir to a banking institution that traced its roots back a hundred years in rural Hampton County, and the recent scandal has not only divided members of his family, which sit on the board of directors and even testified against him, it also impacts several victims still living in the area as well as the multiple local families who do business at PSB, the largest bank in the area.

Meanwhile, state court dates have been set in the fall for other alleged Murdaugh accomplices, including suspended Beaufort County attorney Cory Fleming, also charged in state and federal courts for his alleged role in fleecing Murdaugh's victims.

Mallory Beach wrongful death suit set for Aug. 14

In another case involving Hampton County families that made international news, Mallory Beach died in February 2019 after a boat owned by Murdaugh and allegedly piloted by his intoxicated son, Paul Murdaugh, crashed into bridge structures along Archers Creek in Beaufort County.

Mallory's mother, Renee Beach, filed the first version of a wrongful death suit against Murdaugh and other parties they felt were responsible for her daughter's death in March of 2019. While Paul Murdaugh was criminally charged, he was murdered, along with his mother, Maggie, before he could stand trial.

Since that original suit, much as happened. Various parties have settled, leaving only Murdaugh along with Gregory M. Parker and his Parker's Corporation, the primary defendants. Murdaugh is accused of allowing and condoning his son's excessive alcohol use and reckless boating, while Parker is accused of selling the alcohol to the underaged boaters.

Parker's has since filed a plethora of legal actions, from motions asking for summary judgment and dismissal, to motions seeking to separate their case from Murdaugh's and have two separate trials. Each was denied.

One of Parker's more recent motions, seeking to have Beach family attorneys Mark Tinsley and Tabor Vaux dismissed from the case for allegedly violating legal procedures, was also denied.

In December of 2021, the Beach family filed a second, parallel lawsuit against Parker's and other parties, alleging that the multi-million convenience store chain's owner and his attorneys hired detectives and "social media knife fighters" to harass and intimidate the Beachs.

That case has not been scheduled for trial and could be dropped depending on the outcome of the wrongful death case, which is currently set to begin Aug. 14 in Hampton County after more than four years of pretrial actions.

When contacted by The Hampton County Guardian seeking comment on the possibility of future pretrial motions seeking to delay the trial date, attorneys for Parker's simply responded, “Parker’s is currently preparing for trial.”

Meanwhile, Tinsley and his team say that, with Parker's "meritless" motions addressed, they are also preparing for the Aug. 14 showdown.

However, in another surprise twist, on Friday, July 7, Parker's again dropped two bombshell pretrial motions: a second motion to serve and a motion to change the venue to a location outside the 14th Judicial Circuit, which includes Hampton, Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton and Allendale counties.

It is unclear when Judge Daniel Hall will hear these latest motions, how this could impact the scheduled Aug. 14 date, or the trial's location.

Follow Michael DeWitt's reporting as The Hampton County Guardian/Greenville News and the USA Today Network continue to follow this developing legal case, and you can follow DeWitt on Facebook and on Twitter at @mmdewittjr for the latest updates.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Cases surrounding Alex Murdaugh head to court in August. What to know