South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh's lawsuit against a former court clerk whose improper interaction with the jury at his double murder trial was dismissed by a federal judge. File Photo courtesy South Carolina Department of Corrections | License Photo
Aug. 6 (UPI) -- A federal judge in South Carolina has dismissed a lawsuit by Alex Murdaugh against a former court clerk who improperly interacted with jurors during his double murder trial in 2023.
Colleton County Clerk of Courts Becky Hill's instructions to the 12-member panel led to the former lawyer's convictions being overturned in May by the South Carolina Supreme Court.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel on Wednesday ruled that Murdaugh could not seek $600,000 from Colleton County Clerk of Courts Becky Hill for his legal fees because she was not involved in the murder charges filed against him.
Murdaugh in May sued Hill under a federal law that allows lawsuits against government officials accused of violating someone's civil rights while acting in their official capacity.
