Murdaugh set to appear in state court, back in front of Judge Newman. Here's what to know.

For the first time since courtroom security led him away to state prison following his March 2023 double murder conviction, accused fraudster Richard "Alex" Murdaugh will once again appear in state court before Judge Clifton Newman ― as will two of his alleged co-conspirators and accomplices.

A status conference has been scheduled in Beaufort County General Sessions Court beginning 9 a.m. Thursday and will include Murdaugh, former Beaufort attorney Cory H. Fleming, and former Hampton bank CEO Russell L. Laffitte.

Fleming will be sentenced for his state crimes, and it's possible that court dates may be set to try Murdaugh and Laffitte for their alleged state financial crimes.

This criminal reunion was ordered by Judge Newman, who is presiding over all of the S.C. State Grand Jury cases involving Murdaugh's more than 100 financial and drug-related crimes, and who sentenced Murdaugh to two life sentences for murdering his wife and child - but the guest of "honor" is expected to be Murdaugh himself, who has not been seen publicly since March 3.

Murdaugh gets brief reprieve from prison to appear in state court

Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the S.C. Attorney General's Office, which is prosecuting all of Murdaugh's alleged state crimes, told The Hampton County Guardian Wednesday that Murdaugh is expected to appear in person for this hearing.

While officially Murdaugh is serving his consecutive life sentences in protective custody at an "undisclosed" maximum security state prison, it has been widely reported that he is being housed at the McCormick Correctional Institution.

Following Murdaugh's murder conviction, Newman scheduled the Sept. 14 hearing to possibly schedule a trial date or dates to hear Murdaugh's more than 100 other state charges.

However, in light of recent events, Murdaugh's attorneys may request a continuance to delay those trials. Murdaugh's lawyers, Richard Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, recently filed a motion alleging improper contact and jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill during Murdaugh's murder trial, and requesting a new trial.

As of Wednesday, the S.C. Attorney General's Office had not responded to those allegations, and no hearing date to hear them has been set.

Murdaugh is also facing similar federal charges that include conspiracy, bank and wire fraud charges. A "change of plea" hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court in Charleston. Murdaugh, who had originally pleaded not guilty to federal charges, is expected to now plead guilty.

Fleming to be sentenced for his role in Murdaugh crime saga

Fleming, Murdaugh's college roommate and godfather to his slain son, Paul, was charged in both state and federal courts for his role in Murdaugh's financial schemes - crimes that included stealing from Murdaugh's legal clients and even a fraudulent lawsuit involving the family and estate of Murdaugh's late household employee, Gloria Satterfield.

On Aug. 15, Fleming pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and was sentenced to nearly four years (46 months) in federal prison, plus fines and restitution. He chose to self-report immediately and was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.

On Aug. 23, Fleming pleaded guilty to all state charges before Judge Newman, and Newman scheduled Fleming's sentencing for Thursday in his home county of Beaufort so that the court could hear from friends and family members, as well as victims, before sentencing.

While Fleming's attorney Deborah Barbier has not commented on the case pending the sentencing, it is likely Fleming is hopeful of receiving a concurrent state sentence that roughly matches his federal time, which is expected to be served in FCI Jesup in nearby Georgia.

However, Creighton Waters, lead prosecutor for the S.C. AG's Office, may push for a longer state sentence, or one to be served consecutive to the federal sentence. State prosecutors contend that Murdaugh could not have pulled off many of his crimes without Fleming's aid and that Fleming has not been fully cooperative with their investigation.

Former Palmetto State banker Laffitte to appear before Newman

Rounding out this trio of Murdaugh co-conspirators will be former Palmetto State Bank CEO Russell Laffitte.

Like Fleming, Laffitte was charged in both state and federal courts for his role in Murdaugh's decade-long, multi-county financial crime spree.

Laffitte was found guilty of his federal charges, bank and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit those frauds, in November 2022. He was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, along with $3.55 million in restitution, and is scheduled to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Sept. 21, where he will also likely serve his time at FCI Jesup.

However, Laffitte has appealed that sentence. His previous appeals of the verdict itself have been denied.

During a previous status conference, Laffitte's attorneys requested continuances on scheduling trials for his state charges, citing the ongoing federal appeals and the fact that Laffitte has new legal representation that needs time to get familiar with the state cases.

It is unclear if Judge Newman will schedule Laffitte's state trial Thursday, or Laffitte will request further delays.

Kittle said that although the trio of proceedings are expected to begin around 9 a.m., it's not clear which case will be heard first.

Hampton County Guardian Editor Michael DeWitt, the Greenville News and USA TODAY Network will continue to follow the ongoing criminal and civil cases surrounding the Murdaugh crime saga. Follow DeWitt on Twitter at @mmdewittjr and support his local and national journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Murdaugh to appear in state court in Beaufort. Judge Newman presiding