The defense for disbarred Lowcountry attorney Alex Murdaugh wants the judge who presided over his murder trial, Circuit Judge Clifton Newman, removed from all future proceedings.
In the new motion, the defense argues Newman should be barred from presiding over any future cases because he “has personal knowledge about the clerk of court’s conduct.” Documents also allege Newman made statements after the he returned the guilty verdicts in which that action violated the Code of Judicial Conduct. The defense stated, “These statements include congratulating the jury for returning the correct verdict, statements at sentencing evidencing personal bias, and statements in public interviews after the trial (including an interview on a nationally broadcast news program) in which Judge Newman stated his personal opinion regarding Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt, legal issues on appeal, and strategic choices by Mr. Murdaugh’s counsel during trial,” the documents state.
Documents filed with the court on Wednesday November 1, seek a Writ of Prohibition against Judge Newman. Who was appointed to preside over all cases involving Murdaugh
Murdaugh attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin previously requested a new trial amid allegations the Colleton County Clerk of Court engaged in what they called jury tampering.
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