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Against the advice of his attorneys – who were reportedly at the Colleton County detention center late Wednesday evening pleading their case – disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has reportedly decided to take the stand in his own defense this week.
Murdaugh’s testimony could come as early as 9:30 a.m. EST today (February 23, 2023), multiple sources familiar with the situation have confirmed to this news outlet.
News of Murdaugh’s decision was reported early Thursday morning by Avery Wilks of The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier and John Monk of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper. It was also previously reported over a week ago by reporters Andrew Davis of WSAV TV-3 (NBC – Savannah) and Riley Benson of WCBD TV-2 (NBC – Charleston, S.C.).
As previously reported, there will be no initial limits on what prosecutors will be allowed to ask Murdaugh on cross-examination. Yesterday, S.C. circuit court judge Clifton Newman rejected a motion from defense attorneys seeking to establish “parameters” for the waiver of Murdaugh’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
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“I am not going to issue an order in advance limiting the scope of his testimony,” Newman said.
According to my sources, this motion was an effort by Murdaugh’s attorneys – Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin – to show their client the dangers of taking the stand. Harpootlian and Griffin also reportedly called numerous high-profile trial lawyers in the Palmetto State eliciting their counsel – information which they proceeded to pass along to their client.
To a person, these attorneys all advised against Murdaugh testifying.
None of it appears to have worked …
If Murdaugh moves forward with testifying, what awaits him on cross-examination would be nothing short of “medieval” and would likely cover “significant new ground,” according to a well-placed prosecutorial source.
Specifically, extensive evidence debunking the perception of Murdaugh as a “loving family man” is expected to be introduced.
This is a developing story … please check back for updates.
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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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2 comments
“You fool!”
– B. A. Baracus, The A-Team (CBS)
Murdaugh has lied to SLED before. Lies have been a part of Murdaugh’s life from his stealing and embezzling money from the firm and clients. What’s going to stop him from lying again? He’s not going to get the death penalty. If he is sentenced to the max for his “white collar” crimes, his prison term will be greater than his expected remaining lifespan.
Dude needs to look back at the time he staged a drive by and question if he’s really the mastermind he thinks he is.