Judge Slaps Down Alex Murdaugh’s Bid for a New Trial

A South Carolina judge on Monday denied Alex Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial over claims a court clerk tampered with the jury that convicted him of murder last year.

Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal, who took over the case last month, ruled against him after an evidentiary hearing into allegations that Colleton County court clerk Becky Hill’s comments swayed the 12-person jury to convict Murdaugh, a verdict that resulted in the disgraced former lawyer’s life sentence.

While Toal did not agree that the jury was tainted, she did not hesitate to slam the court clerk, whom she said was “attracted to the siren call of celebrity” even before the trial.

Read more at The Daily Beast.