The South Carolina judge who presided over Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial has recused himself from all future hearings tied to the double homicide case.
Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman requested “a new judge be assigned to handle the post-trial motions involving the murder charges,” according to a Supreme Court order issued Thursday—two weeks after Murdaugh’s legal team filed a motion arguing that Newman cannot be impartial.
Defense attorneys allege that Murdaugh deserves a new trial after Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill allegedly tampered with the 12-person jury that convicted him of murdering his wife and son in June 2021. He was given two life sentences after the February trial and still faces over 100 separate pending charges for other crimes.
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In the Nov. 1 motion to ban Newman from Murdaugh’s case, defense attorneys argued that the judge “has personal knowledge about the Clerk of Court’s conduct, which will undoubtedly be disputed at an evidence hearing on the motion for a new trial.” It also claimed that Newman had already publicly expressed his opinion about the case—including a Today show appearance—that violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires impartiality.
“Mr. Murdaugh’s right to have his appeal heard by an impartial judge will be violated if Judge Newman proceeds to hear his motion for a new trial,” the motion stated.
The motion also asked the state Supreme Court to issue a stay on Murdaugh’s criminal trials until it decides on the petition to remove Newman, which the court rejected.
The state case is Murdaugh’s first white-collar crime trial, although he previously admitted to stealing millions from his law firm and its clients for years. It is not immediately clear whether Newman will still preside over the financial case. A hearing is set for Friday to discuss the upcoming financial trial, which Murdaugh’s lawyers want to be held in another location to ensure an impartial jury.
Newman’s recusal is the latest legal win in Murdaugh’s fight for a new trial. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office previously brushed off the allegations of wrongdoing, stating in a motion that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) found “significant factual disputes” in the claims. Despite the prosecution’s pushback, the South Carolina Court of Appeals granted the hearing to discuss the allegation.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and Murduagh’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
