Alex Murdaugh Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Former Court Clerk Over Alleged Jury Tampering
Alex Murdaugh has initiated a federal civil rights lawsuit against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill, alleging jury tampering during his 2023 murder trial.
Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca "Becky" Hill, alleging that her actions during his 2023 murder trial violated his constitutional right to a fair trial. The lawsuit, submitted on May 17, 2026, in the U.S. District Court in Charleston, seeks compensatory and punitive damages under federal civil rights statutes.
This legal action follows the South Carolina Supreme Court's unanimous decision on May 13, 2026, to overturn Murdaugh's double murder convictions. The court cited "improper external influences on the jury" by Hill, stating that her conduct compromised the trial's fairness.
Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. Despite the overturned convictions, he remains incarcerated, serving concurrent federal and state sentences totaling 67 years for financial crimes, including embezzling approximately $12 million from clients.
Prosecutors have announced plans to retry Murdaugh for the murders, with the retrial potentially occurring later this year.
Hill, who had significant access to jurors during the trial, was previously convicted of perjury and misconduct related to her role in the case and was sentenced to probation.
Murdaugh's attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, are expected to discuss the lawsuit in a press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon.