Becky Hill, the former Colleton County Clerk of Court was charged with two counts of misconduct in office and one count of obstruction of justice. Hill, 57, of Walterboro, turned herself in on Wednesday Morning, May 14th.
The charges include Perjury for False Testimony Under Oath when Judge Jean Toal, during a hearing on January 29, 2024, asked Former Clerk Hill, “Did you allow anyone from the press to view sealed exhibits?” and Hill responded, “No Ma’am.”
The second charge is Obstructing Justice. The charge states that on Feb. 28, 2023, while putting evidence away after a day of testimony in the Murdaugh double murder trial, Hill made available “sealed evidence” photographs to a third party in violation of a written court order issued to protect the “sealed evidence” photographs from public view.
The third charge states that from September 2021 to March 5, 2024, Hill did willfully, dishonestly, and unlawfully breach her duty of accountability to the public by failing to properly and faithfully discharge her said duty. Hill requested and received $9,880.10 in financial bonuses paid from the Title IV-D Incentive Funds. In March 2024, she also gave herself an unlawful $2,000 bonus paid by a check from the Colleton County Clerk of Court’s Office Funds.
Magistrate Jennifer Fishburne said at Hill’s arraignment Wednesday Morning, “Common Law crimes typically carry zero to 10 years in prison.” Hill was granted a personal recognizance bond of $10,000 per charge, totaling $30,0000. Hill was deemed to not be a flight risk by the judge, having lived in Colleton County for 25 years.
Hill’s attorney asked the Judge Fishburne to endorse a Richland County warrant for perjury to be served in Colleton County so they wouldn’t have to commute to Richland County and indicated that all parties involved did not have an issue with the request.
The judge denied that request, saying she wanted to keep it simple and in the Colleton County jurisdiction.
Hill was transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, where she was arraigned at around 2 p.m. Wednesday before Magistrate Judge P. Van Ellis on the perjury charge. Judge Ellis granted her a $50,000 personal recognizance bond that included a special condition allowing her to travel out of state for work. Hill is scheduled to appear in court again at 9 a.m. on July 18 at the Colleton County Courthouse.
