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South Carolina circuit court judge Clifton Newman – the man presiding over the double homicide trial of disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh – has reportedly issued multiple warnings to several members of Murdaugh’s family regarding their behavior in court.
Murdaugh stands accused of killing his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and youngest son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, on his family’s hunting property in Colleton County, South Carolina on June 7, 2021. He pleaded not guilty and is currently standing trial in Walterboro, S.C. – located in the Lowcountry region of the Palmetto State his family ran like a fiefdom for more than a century.
As I exclusively reported on our live feed earlier today, Murdaugh’s family was instructed to move from its front row seat at the Palmetto State’s ‘Trial of the Century’ to the back row of seats on the defendant’s side of the Colleton County courthouse.
The decision to move the family back by several rows came following “repeated violations” of court rules, according to my sources – including improper talking, touching and transferring of items with the defendant. One family member is alleged to have passed an “undisclosed item” to Murdaugh through one of his attorneys – resulting in a court-ordered drug test of the defendant, whose alleged addiction to opioids has become one of the themes of these proceedings.
It is not immediately clear when Murdaugh was drug-tested, or what the results of that test were.
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What happens if the Murdaughs cannot get their acts together?
“The next move for them will be out of the courtroom,” a source familiar with the situation told me.
To be clear: Not all members of the Murdaugh family are causing problems, my sources say.
Court officials have reportedly had no issues with either of Alex Murdaugh’s brothers – Randy Murdaugh or John Marvin Murdaugh.
“Randy and John Marvin have conducted themselves as gentlemen,” a source familiar with the situation told me.
In fact, John Marvin Murdaugh has reportedly told court officials he would sit wherever he was asked to sit – or give up his seat inside the courtroom voluntarily.
“The brothers are not the problem,” another source following the recent reprimands told me.
(Click to View)
So … who is the problem?
According to my sources, Murdaugh’s sister, Lynn Goettee, has refused repeatedly to abide by court rules regarding communication and contact with her brother. Goettee was also identified by courtroom security as the family member who passed Alex Murdaugh the “undisclosed item.”
Upon being confronted and asked to cease such behavior, Goettee reportedly “became demonstrative.”
Buster Murdaugh is also becoming a problem, according to my sources. The surviving son of Alex Murdaugh did not want to be moved back several rows – and is said to have kicked over a water bottle in disgust upon being asked to do so by courthouse security.
Buster Murdaugh has also been accused of making an obscene gesture to one of the witnesses during an in camera session of court earlier this week (i.e. a session of court outside the presence of the jury). Murdaugh allegedly extended his middle finger to attorney Mark Tinsley during his testimony on Monday.
Tinsley is the attorney whose lawsuit against the Murdaughs following the 2019 boat crash is believed to have precipitated the collapse of the “House of Murdaugh,” one of the Palmetto State’s most prominent, powerful legal dynasties.
The potential removal of certain members of Murdaugh’s family from the courtroom could have long-term implications on these proceedings moving forward. Specifically, it could impact the jury’s impressions of the support Murdaugh may or may not be receiving from his kinfolk. On Thursday morning, for example, Murdaugh attorney Jim Griffin asked Buster and his girlfriend, Brooklynn White, to stand so that a witness he was cross-examining could identify them and discuss what a “good father” Murdaugh was.
Buster Murdaugh has not spoken publicly about the allegations against his father, although in late November he told a reporter from The (U.K.) Daily Mail he did not want to be portrayed as supporting him.
“I don’t want to see it written anywhere that I’m supporting my father,” Murdaugh said.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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17 comments
“Surprised” said no one.
And if an atty passed an item to the defendant, why was he not also held accountable?
Is he considered above the rules?
?the good ole boys are drinking whiskey and rye…?
?the good ole boys are drinking whiskey and rye…?
Hmmm?
I am really shocked that this judge is the allowing things to happen in his courtroom that don’t happen anywhere else.
Eating, drinking, chewing gum,obsessive talking!??? Etc etc etc.
Just another example(s) of the family members’ self-delusions of inherent power/prestige/entitlement. I note, however, that both brothers/uncles are gentlemen and comport themselves accordingly – it’s the sister/auntie and the ‘whipper-snappers’ who are discourteous and vulgar.
PS – I agree re the gum-chewing – just GROSS!
PPS – If I were the young lady, Brooklyn White, I’d run as fast as I could in the opposite direction of wherever Buster is headed.
I knew his sister when we lived in Summerville. Always bragging about being a “Murdaugh from Hampton”. Meant NOTHING to me since I was not familiar with the area. But, I can attest she is an arrogant A-H!!!
I wish someone would put together a comprehensive visual – bullet pointing the timeline of AM whereabouts combining data from car, testimony. AM and his various stories from napping to phone calls. And I am also curious if SLED looked in hollow trees, swampy waters, or for hidden areas inside home – under rugs, concealed compartments in floor etc. Last, it is known that law enforcement throughout the world will often tap into psychics to get their impressions – taking them to the scene at Moselle. Any port in a storm. Even CIA has turned to these people. Not used in court and rarely publicized – I would think SLED could give this a try. I could feel the fear coming from the testimony of caretaker for Mrs. Murdaugh. As if AM owned her. She was to stay in her place. I think everyone was manipulated by AM. Thank you for your reporting!
BraniNChurchwell has done just that it’s on twitter detailed timeline includes all data
WTF? O?
AM was “broke” yet he could afford a full time housekeeper to cook/clean for his family, do his family’s laundry, shop for his Capri Suns……????
Alex lied about taking a nap. He was at the kennel as we all heard on the video Paul took just a few minutes before he & then his mother were murdered. Yes, the local police force and the state law force made some mistakes that were actually minor. No one can explain why Alex lied about were he was a few minutes before someone slaughtered Maggie & Paul. The FBI agent’s testimony about the cell phone locations that night clarified that Alex was not at his Mom’s for 30-40 minutes, less than that just like the caregiver said, he was there for 15-20 minutes. The final nail in his coffin was that Alex was not at Mossell when he called 911, he was still on the road.
His voice ?
why no hyperlink to Lynn Goettee?
I saw an aerial photo of the kennels and shop today. There were two dark irregularly shaped items on the roof of the kennel. Did anyone else? Has there been an explaination?