Who is Clifton Newman? Alex Murdaugh's legal team seeks to remove 'biased' trial judge from his criminal case
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: The attorneys for convicted killer Alex Murdaugh have requested the South Carolina Supreme Court to remove Judge Clifton Newman, who oversaw his murder trial, from all future trials and hearings.
On Wednesday, November 1, defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin filed a new motion to seek a writ of prohibition against 71-year-old Newman, who presided over the murder trial where Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, 52, and son, Paul Murdaugh, 22, according to Daily Mail.
Newman, who serves as an at-large judge of the South Carolina Circuit Courts, was previously appointed to preside over all cases involving Murdaugh, according to WSFA.
He was elected to the court by the South Carolina General Assembly in May 2000. Before being elected as a circuit court judge, Newman served as Newman & Sabb, PA's managing partner.
In addition, he worked for Williamsburg County, South Carolina, for 17 years as an assistant solicitor. During his long tenure, Newman also earned several historical preservation awards.
Why are Murdaugh's attorneys seeking to ban Clifton Newman?
In new court fillings, Murdaugh's attorneys asked the court to ban Newman from hearing Murdaugh’s request for a new trial.
In addition, they want the judge to be dropped from an impending case in which the disgraced lawyer is being prosecuted for a series of financial offenses that prosecutors claim he committed as his life went out of control in the years before killing his wife and son.
Murdaugh's attorneys did not accuse Newman of any misconduct during the murder trial, but they point to his statements made at sentencing and in post-trial appearances with Cleveland State University and the 'Today Show' as evidence that he is no longer unbiased.
After the jury returned a guilty verdict, Newman engaged in lengthy remarks before handing down his sentence of two life sentences. Among other things, he questioned out loud if Murdaugh's son and his wife's ghosts would haunt him at night.
“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…in which Judge Newman stated his personal opinions regarding Mr. Murdaugh’s guilt, legal issues on appeal, and strategic choices by Mr. Murdaugh’s counsel during trial,” the motion stated according to the Daily Beast.
Lawyers want to remove Clifton Newman from Rebecca Hill’s tampering case
The 256-page motion is the most recent court document in the defense attorneys' battle for a new trial on allegations that Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill tampered with the 12-person jury.
The attorneys had previously accused Hill of misleading the murder trial jury by asking jurors their opinions on his guilt or innocence before the trial was over, suggesting to them she thought he was guilty and pressuring them to reach a verdict quickly.
Because of his contacts with Hill, the defense now claims that Newman should not be allowed to decide whether or not there would be a complete hearing into Hill's activities.
“Judge Newman 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,” the motion said.
The defense is also asking the state Supreme Court to suspend any trials or hearings about Murdaugh's case until they determine whether Newman should be removed.