Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh is appealing the court’s decision to deny him a new trial for killing his wife and son.
Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal on April 11, about a week after the disgraced South Carolina attorney received the written order that denied him a new trial, WCSC <a href="https://www.live5news.com/2024/04/12/alex-murdaugh-files-appeal-after-being-denied-new-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Murdaugh had previously requested a new trial based on alleged jury tampering by former Colleton County Court Clerk Becky Hill, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-clerk-accused-of-influencing-alex-murdaugh-jury-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> in March, nearly two months after the allegations against her failed to get Murdaugh a new trial.
Murdaugh was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-loses-bid-for-new-trial-despite-juror-saying-county-clerk-influenced-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> the new trial in court at the end of January but only received the official written denial earlier this month.
At the time, South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied Murdaugh’s bid while condemning Hill in her remarks about her ruling, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/29/us/judge-jean-toal-murdaugh-jury-tampering-clerk-rebecca-hill/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Toal said Hill was “attracted by the siren call of celebrity” and that she “wanted to write a book about the trial and expressed that as early as November 2022, long before the trial began.”
Hill has denied the allegations against her, but Toal determined that Hill had told another clerk and others of “her desire for a guilty verdict because it would sell books.”
“She made comments about Murdaugh’s demeanor as he testified and she made some of those comments before he testified to at least one and maybe more jurors,” Toal said, according to CNN. “Did clerk of court Hill’s comments have any impact on the verdict of the jury? I find that the answer to this question is no.”
Toal further explained that she had personally interviewed each juror and that 11 of them said that they either hadn’t heard any comments from Hill or, of those who had, that those comments did not affect their judgment. The 12th juror, according to Toal, was “ambivalent” during testimony and only said she felt pressure from other jurors.
That juror, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227691743/alex-murdaugh-juror-says-clerk-made-him-seem-guilty-murder-appeal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to NPR</a>, testified that Hill made comments that indicated that Hill thought Murdaugh was guilty. Brian Entin, senior national correspondent for NewsNation, <a href="https://twitter.com/brianentin/status/1751992831109947720?s=12&amp;t=zEuer7j4Ff8TVIcpiUO1KA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on X</a> during the hearing that the juror “said her verdict WAS influenced by the clerk of court.”
CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-bid-to-prove-jury-tampering-murder-conviction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the juror, identified only as Juror Z, answered “Yes ma’am,” when the judge asked if Hill’s comments affected her vote. The juror later told the judge that she stood by an earlier sworn affidavit that said the other jurors influenced her to vote guilty more than Hill’s comments.
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Murdaugh, 55, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole for the 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.
Murdaugh has denied killing his wife and son but pleaded guilty to various financial crimes and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was sentenced</a> to 27 years in prison. He was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-40-more-years-in-prison-for-federal-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to 40 years in prison for federal financial crimes.

Alex Murdaugh

Alex Murdaugh Appeals Decision Denying Him New Trial

Crime

Murder

South Carolina

U.S.

Dawn Staley, the head coach of the undefeated South Carolina women&#8217;s basketball team, said on Saturday that trans-identifying players should be allowed to participate against women as long as they &#8220;consider&#8221; themselves to be &#8220;a woman.&#8221;
Staley made her comments on men competing in women&#8217;s sports following the Gamecocks&#8217; blowout win in the Final Four over NC State. Asked by Outkick reporter Dan Zaksheske to explain her position on &#8220;the inclusion of transgender athletes, biological males, in women&#8217;s sports,&#8221; the coach struggled to come up with an answer before saying she supports men competing against women.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re a woman, you should play; if you consider yourself a woman, and you want to play sports, or vice-versa, you should be able to play,&#8221; Staley said. &#8220;That&#8217;s my opinion.&#8221;
Zaksheske asked her to clarify if she believes trans-identifying men should be able to compete against women.
&#8220;That&#8217;s the question you want to ask, so I&#8217;ll give you that: Yes. Yes,&#8221; she responded. &#8220;So now the barnstorm of people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game, and I&#8217;m ok with that.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I asked South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley if she supports transgender women (biological males) playing women&#39;s college basketball. 
&quot;If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports or vice versa, you should be able to play.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SEQCsNiFvm">pic.twitter.com/SEQCsNiFvm</a>
&mdash; Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDanZak/status/1776641070425678157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
South Carolina&#8217;s win against NC State on Friday puts them in the national championship game, where they will face Iowa and star player Caitlyn Clark, who defeated UConn in a nail-biter. Staley&#8217;s team is currently 37-0 on the season and has breezed through the NCAA tournament. Staley has coached at South Carolina since 2008 and has won two national championships while reaching six Final Fours. The national championship game is on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Staley&#8217;s comments have sparked backlash online, including from prominent women&#8217;s sports activist Riley Gaines. The former collegiate swimmer, who has been outspoken about the dangers and inherent unfairness of biological males participating in females&#8217; sports, posted the video of Staley and cited The Daily Wire-produced satirical comedy film &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/lady-ballers">Lady Ballers</a>,&#8221; which was released in 2023 and lampoons men competing in women&#8217;s sports, specifically men competing against women in basketball.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lady ballers assemble! <a href="https://t.co/EP0bxt4rv6">https://t.co/EP0bxt4rv6</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1776677402187587764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
Gaines had a cameo appearance in the film, which starred several Daily Wire personalities, including the company&#8217;s co-CEO and co-founder Jeremy Boreing and Daily Wire hosts Jake Crain, Blain Crain and David Cone.
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While the controversy surrounding men playing in women&#8217;s sports has yet to directly affect Division I women&#8217;s college basketball, there have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-men-who-have-dominated-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numerous instances</a> of men competing in sports against females and beating them in recent months. Earlier this year, multiple trans-identifying athletes took the floor with women in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-identifying-volleyball-players-take-over-womens-college-game-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college volleyball match</a> in Ontario, Canada.
At Nazareth University in New York, trans-identifying track athlete Sadie Schreiner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-collegiate-sprinter-switches-to-womens-team-breaks-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set a new school record</a> in the 300m dash in December, clocking in at 41.80 seconds, which was also good for first place in the race. Schreiner reportedly competed in the same track event a year before as a male and finished in 19th place in the 100m dash.
Men competing in women&#8217;s sports became a major issue in 2022 when UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas, who previously competed as a male before identifying as a female, won a national championship title in the 500-yard freestyle over standout Virginia swimmer Emma Weyant.
The <a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2022/1/28/transgender-student-athlete-eligibility-review-procedures.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA allows</a> men to compete in women&#8217;s sports as long as they submit an &#8220;NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Eligibility Review Form&#8221; and have a &#8220;testosterone level that is within the allowable levels for the sport in which the student-athlete plans to compete.&#8221;

Dawn Staley

Coach Of Top Women’s College Basketball Team Says Men Should Play Against Females ‘If You Consider Yourself A Woman’

Coach Of Top Women's College Basketball Team Says Men Should Play Against Females 'If You Consider Yourself A Woman'

College basketball

NCAA

Transgender

Women's Basketball

Women's sports

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh was sentenced by a federal judge on Monday to 40 years in prison for numerous financial crimes.
The 40-year sentence will be served at the same time as the 27 years South Carolina sentenced him to for similar crimes, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alex-murdaugh-face-harsh-sentence-feds-say-failed-polygraph-test-rcna145513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Those sentences are in addition to the two consecutive life sentences Murdaugh received for killing his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.
Murdaugh was accused of stealing millions of dollars from his previous law firm and its clients and, in addition to prison time, was ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his victims.
“Trust in our legal system begins with trust in its lawyers,” U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said in <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/alex-murdaugh-indicted-federal-conspiracy-wire-fraud-bank-fraud-and-money-laundering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a statement</a>. “South Carolinians turn to lawyers when they are at their most vulnerable, and in our state, those who abuse the public’s trust and enrich themselves by fraud, theft, and self-dealing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.&#8221;
The sentencing hearing almost didn’t happen, as prosecutors last week filed a motion trying to back out of their plea agreement with Murdaugh, claiming he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaughs-attorneys-reveal-reason-they-believe-client-failed-polygraph-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed a polygraph test</a> and was, therefore, lying about where the money was spent.
The federal government based its attempt to revoke the plea agreement on the failed polygraph test but asked the courts not to release the results. Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion last week opposing the federal prosecutors’ request.
“To allow the Government to publicly accuse Murdaugh of breaching his plea agreement while also allowing the Government to hide all purported evidence supporting that accusation from the public would violate the public’s right to the truth,” Murdaugh’s attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, wrote in their motion, <a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/03/28/us/alex-murdaugh-lie-detector-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
Polygraph tests are not permitted as evidence in court because they are notoriously unreliable.
The attorneys argued in court documents that the polygraph Murdaugh failed was not reliable because the administrator admitted to Murdaugh that he had just tested Joran van der Sloot, who admitted to killing Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005.
“There are legitimate questions as to whether the Government intentionally manipulated the results to void the plea agreement and achieve the prosecutors’ stated desire to ‘ensure that he’s never a free man again,’” the attorneys wrote, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-murdaugh-fbi-plea-deal-sentencing-6160a341f0adc6e3e17cf996bb1a8bce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>.
Murdaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> to stealing around $12 million from clients over the years after promising to help them with medical bills or pain and suffering. One victim, Jordan Jinks, had been a friend of Murdaugh’s since they were children. He asked Murdaugh to represent him after he incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills for a neck injury resulting from someone rear-ending his car.
Jinks paid the bills, assured that Murdaugh would obtain a settlement to refund him. When Murdaugh received that settlement, he kept the money for himself.
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“The money you stole from me, I would have gave it to you,” Jinks said during Murdaugh’s sentencing. “Why bro? Why?”
While taking responsibility for the financial crimes, Murdaugh adamantly denies killing his wife and son.
“I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal,” Murdaugh said when pleading guilty in September.
Harpootlian, his defense attorney, noted at the time: “There’s two things Alex will tell you. One, he stole the money. Two, he did not kill Maggie and Paul.”

Alex Murdaugh Sentenced To 40 More Years In Prison For Federal Financial Crimes

Fraud

Attorneys for convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh say their client failed a polygraph test because he was asked strange questions and the test administrator mentioned another killer before the test was conducted.
The FBI is trying to back out of its plea agreement with Murdaugh, who pleaded guilty last year to federal financial crimes. The FBI says that Murdaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-claims-alex-murdaugh-lied-about-what-stolen-client-money-was-spent-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lied</a> about where more than $6 million of stolen client money went, and whether an unnamed attorney helped him steal it.
The federal government is basing its attempt to revoke the plea agreement on the failed polygraph test, but it has asked the courts not to release the results. Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion on Thursday opposing the federal prosecutors’ request.
“To allow the Government to publicly accuse Murdaugh of breaching his plea agreement while also allowing the Government to hide all purported evidence supporting that accusation from the public would violate the public’s right to the truth,” Murdaugh’s attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, wrote in their motion, <a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/03/28/us/alex-murdaugh-lie-detector-test" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
Polygraph tests are not permitted as evidence in court because they are notoriously unreliable.
The attorneys argued in court documents that the polygraph Murdaugh failed was not reliable because the administrator admitted to Murdaugh that he had just tested Joran van der Sloot, who admitted to killing Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005.
“There are legitimate questions as to whether the Government intentionally manipulated the results to void the plea agreement and achieve the prosecutors’ stated desire to ‘ensure that he’s never a free man again,’” the attorneys wrote, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-murdaugh-fbi-plea-deal-sentencing-6160a341f0adc6e3e17cf996bb1a8bce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>.
The attorneys also included court documents from Murdaugh’s state murder case, in which prosecutors fought to keep the defense’s polygraph results out of the trial. A friend of Murdaugh failed a polygraph when asked if he had been involved in the murder of Murdaugh’s wife and son.
Murdaugh was convicted of killing his family members and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. He is appealing his conviction.
Murdaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> to stealing around $12 million from clients over the years after promising to help them with medical bills or pain and suffering. One victim, Jordan Jinks, had been a friend of Murdaugh’s since they were children. He asked Murdaugh to represent him after he incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills for a neck injury resulting from someone rear-ending his car.
Jinks paid the bills, assured that Murdaugh would obtain a settlement to refund him. When Murdaugh received that settlement, he kept the money for himself.
“The money you stole from me, I would have gave it to you,” Jinks said during Murdaugh’s sentencing. “Why bro? Why?”
While taking responsibility for the financial crimes, Murdaugh adamantly denies killing his wife and son.
“I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal,” Murdaugh said when pleading guilty in September.
His defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, noted at the time: “There’s two things Alex will tell you. One, he stole the money. Two, he did not kill Maggie and Paul.”

Alex Murdaugh’s Attorneys Reveal Reason They Believe Client Failed Polygraph Test

Alex Murdaugh's Attorneys Reveal Reason They Believe Client Failed Polygraph Test

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Carolina</a> House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit public universities from making hiring or promotion decisions based on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles or political ideology.
The <a href="https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/4289_20240327.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a>, which passed 84-30 with opposition from Democrats and support from Republicans, also protects the free speech of both students and staff at public universities and requires universities to report on how much money they spend on DEI initiatives. Conservative members of the South Carolina legislature have <a href="https://scdailygazette.com/2024/03/28/sc-house-gop-passes-bill-banning-dei-in-college-hiring-firing-and-admission/#:~:text=The%20bill%20bars%20discriminating%20against,and%20how%20they%20were%20resolved." target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously pushed</a> to strip all DEI-related funding from public universities. 
“In a decisive move, SC House Republicans have passed H.4289, signaling a clear stance against DEI ideology influencing college admissions and employment decisions,” the South Carolina House Republican Caucus <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SCHouseGOP/posts/pfbid0AN73SD5kbSGmQcyLq1Ky4DsFzsD1aH3sqym8q3tdZnhxcWujyCdtVgouqww8DF9Al">said</a> in a statement. “This landmark legislation ensures no diversity pledges can dictate admissions or job outcomes, halts mandatory diversity training, and upholds the unassailable right to free speech. It&#8217;s a bold affirmation of our commitment to equality and academic freedom, safeguarding our institutions against bias and promoting fairness in line with federal laws and standards.”
“A public institution of higher learning shall not infringe on a student, faculty member, or employee&#8217;s First Amendment right to free speech,” <a href="https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess125_2023-2024/prever/4289_20240327.htm">the bill</a> says. “A public institution of higher learning shall not discriminate on the basis of viewpoint discrimination.”
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During debate on the measure, state Republican Rep. Adam Morgan said that taxpayer money should not be used to push a politicized worldview on students. 
“We’re asking a question of what our tax dollars should be spent on, because what we spend our money on reflects our values,” he <a href="https://scdailygazette.com/2024/03/28/sc-house-gop-passes-bill-banning-dei-in-college-hiring-firing-and-admission/#:~:text=The%20bill%20bars%20discriminating%20against,and%20how%20they%20were%20resolved." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
South Carolina House Democrats <a href="https://twitter.com/SCHouseDems/status/1773122593895108611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1773122593895108611%7Ctwgr%5Ec1acd923c809e19fd0862d806d55bb7f609b916d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabcnews4.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fsouth-carolina-house-advances-controversial-anti-dei-bill-in-party-line-vote-south-carolina-democrat-republican-diversity-equity-inclusion-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> the bill is part of a push toward a “far right effort to make our college campuses less diverse, less equitable, and less inclusive.”
The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration where Republicans hold 30 seats and Democrats have 15. 
Other states, like Florida and Alabama, have passed more wide-ranging measures cracking down on DEI. Last week, Republican Alabama Governor Kay Ivey <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alabama-governor-signs-law-to-ban-dei-programs-at-public-universities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a law that bans state funding of DEI programs at state agencies and public universities.

South Carolina State House

South Carolina House Passes Bill To Keep Universities From Hiring Based On DEI Principles

Discrimination

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Free Speech

Politics

The FBI says convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh lied about where more than $6 million of stolen client money went, and about whether an unnamed attorney helped him steal it.
Murdaugh is already serving two consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul, both of whom he denies killing. Murdaugh did, however, plead guilty to stealing money from his clients and law firm, which resulted in a 27-year prison sentence, meaning he will be incarcerated even if his murder conviction is overturned.
The federal government also sought to prosecute Murdaugh, who pleaded guilty last year in federal court to money laundering and various fraud charges, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-murdaugh-federal-crimes-guilty-plea-1d9d8793a58f3928fbaa7ed92f3b211c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time. Now the feds want to revoke their part of the plea agreement, claiming Murdaugh lied because he failed a polygraph test, the results of which have not been released, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alex-murdaugh-financial-crimes-failed-polygraph-f5c8f6587f6001887ac71793d58f4562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the AP</a>.
Murdaugh failed the test in October, which was given because the FBI already suspected he had lied in his previous three interviews with the bureau. Federal prosecutors argued in court documents to keep the polygraph test and the summaries of its interviews with Murdaugh out of the public eye. Murdaugh’s defense attorneys reportedly oppose this, as prosecutors said in a footnote.
Polygraph tests are not permitted as evidence in court because they are notoriously unreliable.
Murdaugh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admitted</a> to stealing around $12 million from clients over the years after promising to help them with medical bills or pain and suffering. One victim, Jordan Jinks, had been a friend of Murdaugh’s since they were children. He asked Murdaugh to represent him after he incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills for a neck injury resulting from someone rear-ending his car.
Jinks paid the bills, assured that Murdaugh would obtain a settlement to refund him. When Murdaugh received that settlement, he kept the money for himself.
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“The money you stole from me, I would have gave it to you,” Jinks said during Murdaugh’s sentencing. “Why bro? Why?”
While taking responsibility for the financial crimes, Murdaugh adamantly denies killing his wife and son.
“I want to take responsibility. I want my son to see me take responsibility. It’s my hope that by taking responsibility that the people I’ve hurt can begin to heal,” Murdaugh said when pleading guilty in September.
His defense attorney, Dick Harpootlian, noted at the time: “There’s two things Alex will tell you. One, he stole the money. Two, he did not kill Maggie and Paul.”
This article has been updated to show that it was Murdaugh who failed the polygraph test, not the unnamed attorney.

FBI Claims Alex Murdaugh Lied About What Stolen Client Money Was Spent On

The court clerk accused of jury tampering by Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys has resigned, nearly two months after the allegations failed to get Murdaugh a new trial.
Rebecca Hill, who has denied any wrongdoing, stepped down on Monday and said she would not run for re-election, CNN <a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/03/25/us/alex-murdaugh-trial-court-clerk-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Hill held a press conference to announce her decision.
She said she was proud of her work as a court clerk, including her management of “one of the biggest trials in South Carolina history,” referring to the Murdaugh trial.
Murdaugh was convicted last year of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. Hill said during her press conference that the trial caused her “to reflect upon decisions involving my stay in the office of the clerk of court.”
“As we fix our eyes forward, I would like to announce also that my resignation as clerk of court will be effective immediately,” she added.
In January, Murdaugh was denied a new trial based on his allegations against Hill, even though the judge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-loses-bid-for-new-trial-despite-juror-saying-county-clerk-influenced-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sharply criticized</a> Hill for her actions during the proceedings. South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied Murdaugh’s bid for a new trial while condemning Hill in her remarks about her ruling, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/29/us/judge-jean-toal-murdaugh-jury-tampering-clerk-rebecca-hill/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time. Toal said Hill was “attracted by the siren call of celebrity” and that she “wanted to write a book about the trial and expressed that as early as November 2022, long before the trial began.”
Hill has denied the allegations against her, but Toal determined that Hill had told another clerk and others of “her desire for a guilty verdict because it would sell books.”
“She made comments about Murdaugh’s demeanor as he testified and she made some of those comments before he testified to at least one and maybe more jurors,” Toal said, according to CNN. “Did clerk of court Hill’s comments have any impact on the verdict of the jury? I find that the answer to this question is no.”
Toal added that the jurors determined Murdaugh to be guilty “without fear or favor” but that Hill “allowed public attention of the moment to overcome her duty.”
“I simply do not believe that the authority of our South Carolina Supreme Court requires a new trial in a very lengthy trial such as this on the strength of some fleeting and foolish comments by a publicity-influenced clerk of courts,” Toal said, according to CNN.
Toal further explained that she had personally interviewed each juror and that 11 of them said that they either hadn’t heard any comments from Hill or, of those who had, that those comments did not affect their judgment. The 12th juror, according to Toal, was “ambivalent” during testimony and only said she felt pressure from other jurors.
That juror, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227691743/alex-murdaugh-juror-says-clerk-made-him-seem-guilty-murder-appeal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to NPR</a>, testified that Hill made comments that indicated Hill thought Murdaugh was guilty. Brian Entin, senior national correspondent for NewsNation, <a href="https://twitter.com/brianentin/status/1751992831109947720?s=12&amp;t=zEuer7j4Ff8TVIcpiUO1KA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted on X</a> during the hearing that the juror “said her verdict WAS influenced by the clerk of court.”
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CBS <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-bid-to-prove-jury-tampering-murder-conviction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the juror, identified only as Juror Z, answered “Yes ma’am,” when the judge asked if Hill’s comments affected her vote. The juror later told the judge that she stood by an earlier sworn affidavit that said the other jurors influenced her to vote guilty more than Hill’s comments.
In his closing arguments, Murdaugh&#8217;s attorney Jim Griffin cited case law while arguing that any communication from court staff to jurors is considered prejudicial and that the defense proved Hill had prejudicial communications with jurors. He argued that “one of those jurors says it influenced my verdict. How is that not prejudice?”
Murdaugh has denied killing his wife and son but pleaded guilty to various financial crimes and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was sentenced</a> to 27 years in prison.
He still has appeals available for the murder convictions.

Court Clerk Accused Of Influencing Alex Murdaugh Jury Resigns

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home foreclosures</a> are soaring across the nation, especially in certain states, new data shows.
Tens of thousands of houses were facing foreclosure as of last month, according to a <a href="https://www.attomdata.com/news/market-trends/foreclosures/u-s-foreclosure-activity-continues-to-see-an-annual-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from real estate data provider ATTOM.
A total of 32,938 properties across the country had foreclosure filings in February, up 8% over a year ago, although that number was down 1% from January, the report found.
Foreclosure filings can consist of default notices, scheduled auctions, or bank repossessions.
Across the country, there was one foreclosure filing for every 4,279 housing units last month.
Some states fared better than others. South Carolina had the highest foreclosure rate with one in every 2,248 housing units. Delaware was next, followed by Florida, Ohio, and Connecticut.
“The annual uptick in U.S. foreclosure activity hints at shifting dynamics within the housing market,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM.
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“These trends could signify evolving financial landscapes for homeowners, prompting adjustments in market strategies and lending practices,” Barber said.
Columbia, South Carolina, was the major metropolitan area with the highest foreclosure rate.
Orlando had the highest foreclosure rate for cities with a population greater than a million, followed by Cleveland, Riverside, Philadelphia, and Miami.
Overall, lenders started the foreclosure process for 22,575 properties in February, up 4% from January and 11% from a year ago.
Florida saw the most foreclosure starts with more than 2,700, followed by California, Texas, New York, and Ohio.
The cities that saw the most foreclosure starts were New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
Completed foreclosures also rose in several states.
South Carolina again topped the list with completed foreclosures up 51% compared to a year ago. Missouri was next with completed foreclosures up 50%, then Pennsylvania at 46%. Texas saw a 7% jump, and Indiana saw a nearly 1% increase over last year.
Out of major metropolitan areas, Chicago saw the most completed foreclosures, a total of 207. Philadelphia, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Detroit also had high rates of completed foreclosures.
However, completed foreclosures were down from a year ago in several states. In Georgia, they were down 52%, in New York 41%, North Carolina 34%, New Jersey 28%, and Maryland 26%.
Despite foreclosure rates rising, they are still well below the foreclosure rates of the 2008 financial crisis.
However, the new data come as concerns mount about soaring house prices, rents, and mortgage rates, which are driving home ownership out of reach for more and more families.
Prices for everyday items such as groceries also remain high due to spiking inflation over the last several years, compounding the troubles for families who may be struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.

SLUG: ME-RINGOFFIRE DATE: 3/06/2008 PHOTOGRAPHER: Tracy A. W

Home Foreclosures Soaring, Especially In These States, Report Shows

Banking

Economy

Florida

Housing

Ohio

Former U.N. Ambassador <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikki Haley</a> declared that she was staying in the Republican Party presidential primary after getting trounced in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday night.
With 99% of the votes counted in South Carolina as of early Sunday morning, former President Donald Trump led 59.8% to 39.5% over Haley, making it the fourth state in a row that he has won.
&#8220;It seems like our country is falling apart. But here&#8217;s the thing. America will come apart if we make the wrong choices. This has never been about me or my political future. We need to beat Joe Biden in November,&#8221; Haley told a group of supporters after the primary results were announced. &#8220;I don&#8217;t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden. Nearly every day, Trump drives people away including with his comments just yesterday. Today in South Carolina, we&#8217;re getting around 40% of the vote. That&#8217;s about what we got New Hampshire, too.&#8221;
&#8220;I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for office. I&#8217;m a woman of my word,&#8221; Haley later added. &#8220;I&#8217;m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. South Carolina has spoken. We&#8217;re the fourth state to do so. In the next 10 days, another 21 states and territories will speak. They have the right to a real choice. Not a Soviet-style election with only one candidate. And I have a duty to give them that choice.&#8221;
&#8220;We can&#8217;t afford four more years of Biden&#8217;s failures or Trump&#8217;s lack of focus,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;We&#8217;re at 34 trillion in debt and counting. Not even a third of our eighth graders are proficient in reading. Families can&#8217;t afford groceries. Nine million illegals have come to our border with enough fentanyl to kill every single American. And beyond our borders, the world is on fire. War is spreading further every day. If we aren&#8217;t strong, those wars will draw America further in. And it&#8217;s not just about policies. We won&#8217;t get out of our downward spiral if we keep obsessing over the past. Does anyone seriously think Joe Biden or Donald Trump will unite our country to solve our problems?&#8221;
She announced that she would hit the road on Sunday to campaign in Michigan and that she would be going to Super Tuesday states the rest of the week.
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WATCH:
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Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley Holds Election Night Watch Party

Nikki Haley After Blowout Loss In South Carolina: ‘I’m Not Giving Up This Fight’

Nikki Haley After Blowout Loss In South Carolina: 'I'm Not Giving Up This Fight'

Donald Trump

Elections

Nikki Haley

Former President Donald Trump dominated the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Carolina</a> Republican Party presidential primary on Saturday, defeating former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in her home state.
The Associated Press and other organizations called the race shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. EST due to a variety of factors that pointed to a &#8220;heavily lopsided contest,&#8221; the publication said.
The New York Times forecasts that Trump could win the state by up to 41 points based on the initial results that have come in.
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&#8220;Wow, that is really something, this was a little sooner than we anticipated, it was an even bigger win than we anticipated,&#8221; Trump told a group of supporters after he was projected to win the state.
&#8220;I was just informed that we got double the number of votes that has ever been received in the great state of South Carolina,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So that&#8217;s pretty good.&#8221;
Trump spoke about the numerous problems that the U.S. has faced under President Joe Biden, including a historic illegal immigration crisis on the U.S. southern border.
&#8220;Now there&#8217;s a spirit that I have never seen. We ran to great races, but there&#8217;s never been, ever, there&#8217;s never been a spirit like this and I just want to say that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now. Never been like this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Former President Donald Trump South Carolina primary night remarks: &quot;This was a little sooner than we anticipated. An even bigger win than we anticipated. I was just informed that we got double the number of votes that has ever been received in the great state of South Carolina. <a href="https://t.co/T4EdzUJr4r">pic.twitter.com/T4EdzUJr4r</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1761552438761328692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Former US President Trump speaks at CPAC in Maryland

Trump Defeats Haley In South Carolina

Voters headed to the polls n <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Carolina</a> on Saturday to choose who they think should be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
The race features former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, who had a commanding lead in the state heading into the primary, and former South Carolina Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nikki-haley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikki Haley</a>, who has promised to stay in the race even if she comes up short in her home state. Voting is open from 7:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m. EST. 
Both candidates had events scheduled in the state in the days leading up to the election.Trump <a href="https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/23/before-south-carolina-primary-donald-trump-talks-nikki-haley-policy-in-front-of-rock-hill-crowd/72662385007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> to thousands at Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill on Friday, appearing with prominent South Carolina political leaders including Governor Henry McMaster,  South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and U.S. Rep. William Timmons (R-SC). Trump has the endorsements of McMaster, Scott, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). 
&#8220;Tomorrow you&#8217;re going to cast one of the most important votes of your entire life,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And honestly we&#8217;re not very worried about tomorrow, we want to aim towards November 5th.&#8221;
During his speech, Trump ripped into President Joe Biden over his handling of the economy, the border, and foreign policy. Later on Friday Trump spoke at the Black Conservative Federation in Columbia.
Haley also made stops throughout South Carolina on Friday, including Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Haley said that she would give Republicans a better avenue to defeat Biden than Trump would.
“We can either do more of the same, and more of the same is not just Joe Biden, more of the same is Donald Trump, or we can elect a new generational leader that will lead us forward with solutions for the future,” she <a href="https://www.live5news.com/2024/02/23/live-haley-set-speak-mt-pleasant-voters-last-minute-push-ahead-primary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.  “Our kids deserve normal they deserve to know what normal feels like. Joe Biden calls anybody that doesn’t support him fascists. And Donald Trump calls anybody that doesn’t support him vermin. That’s not normal.”
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Haley has yet to win any Republican contests for the nomination, coming in third in Iowa, losing by double digits to Trump in New Hampshire, and coming behind <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/none-of-these-candidates-more-than-doubles-nikki-haleys-vote-tally-in-trump-less-nevada-primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“none of these”</a> candidates in the Nevada primary. 
Trump has said that some donors are backing Haley to hurt his chances in the general election. 
“Well, they’re trying to hurt me because of the general election, so the Democrats are giving her money and she’s playing into the game, and I think she just can’t get herself to get out,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-slams-haley-in-south-carolina-i-dont-think-she-knows-how-to-get-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> this week. “She’s doing poorly in the polls. Look, if she was doing well, I’d understand it. But she’s doing very poorly. 
There are 50 delegates at stake in South Carolina. The state has an open primary system, which means that Democrats can vote on Saturday if they did not vote in the Democratic primary earlier this year. 
After South Carolina, the next contest for the Republican nomination will be in Michigan.

Donald Trump/Nikki Haley

South Carolina Voters Head To The Polls To Select 2024 Republican Presidential Nominee

2024 Primaries

Joe Biden

The 21-acre estate that previously belonged to convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has sold at auction for $1 million – less than the minimum bid initially set for the home.
Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and youngest son Paul at the dog kennels located on the property and has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. The new owners are from South Carolina and requested their names not be made public, <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/alex-murdaugh-murder-house-moselle-south-carolina-under-contract/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Realtor.com</a>.
A $1.1 million minimum bid was set for the estate, which includes a 5,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, 4.5-bath house. The new owners plan to turn the estate into a horse farm.
“They’re a prominent South Carolina businessperson that has several offices throughout South Carolina,” Craig King, senior marketing consultant at J.P. King Auction Co., told the website. “Their plan is to relocate their current horse farm to this location.”
The original estate was 1,772 acres, and it sold in March 2023 for $2,663,676 million, Realtor.com reported. The original asking price was $3.9 million. The people who purchased the entire estate intended to use the property for timber, hunting, and agribusiness, King previously <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/south-carolina-farm-where-alex-murdaugh-is-accused-of-murdering-his-wife-and-son-about-to-be-sold/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the outlet.
Months after purchasing the property, the new owners decided to sell the house along with 21 of the 1,772 acres. The asking price was $1.95 million, but no one bought it, so they put it up for auction.
In addition to Maggie and Paul, the Murdaugh’s former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, also died on the property. She reportedly fell down the stairs in the home in 2018. The Murdaugh family told Gloria’s sons that she tripped over the family dogs and fell down the stairs, dying from her injuries. At the time, an autopsy wasn’t performed, but after Alex Murdaugh’s crimes were revealed, an investigation into Satterfield’s death was opened.
After Satterfield’s death, Murdaugh told the family he would sue himself to collect insurance money for the housekeeper’s family – money they never received. Satterfield’s son, Tony, <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/gloria-tony-satterfield-alex-murdaugh-verdict-reaction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that he felt “betrayed, shocked” after learning that Murdaugh had stolen millions of dollars from his family, but maintained he <a href="om/news/son-of-dead-alex-murdaugh-housekeeper-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doesn’t believe</a> his mother was killed on purpose.
The family attorney, Eric Bland, has said that the family doesn’t believe Gloria was intentionally killed and that it would be difficult for investigators to find any evidence of foul play.
“She flipped twice, so she had significant closed head injury and open head injury with 12 broken ribs,” Bland told NewsNation. “The real issue is going to be if somebody was told before Paul or Maggie died … if they know something.”
Tony also said he didn’t believe foul play was involved in his mother’s death but does support exhuming his mother’s body.
Satterfield and the murders are just part of the criminal story involving Alex Murdaugh. Murdaugh was accused of stealing $8.5 million from people who had hired him as their attorney. He is also alleged to have orchestrated his own murder by hiring a friend to kill him so that his surviving son, Buster, could receive a $10 million life insurance payout. Murdaugh allegedly lied to police about the incident, claiming a stranger shot him on the side of the road. This all took place just days after Murdaugh’s firm discovered he had stolen money from clients.
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Murdaugh has adamantly denied killing his wife and son and continues to appeal the verdict. In November, he pleaded guilty to numerous financial crimes and was sentenced to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-murdaugh-sentenced-to-27-years-for-financial-crimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">27 years in prison</a>, so even if the murder convictions are overturned, he’ll still spend nearly 30 years behind bars.

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