A federal judge has dismissed Alex Murdaugh’s lawsuit seeking $600,000 in legal fees from former court clerk Becky Hill, ruling that her alleged misconduct did not directly cause him to incur the costs of his defense.
The lawsuit, filed in May, alleged that Hill’s communications with jurors violated Murdaugh’s constitutional rights during his murder trial for the deaths of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. A jury had convicted Murdaugh in 2023, but the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the convictions in May 2024, citing Hill’s improper influence over jurors as a key factor in undermining the fairness of the trial.
Judge Richard Gergel dismissed the case on Wednesday, stating that Murdaugh’s argument lacked a necessary causal connection. In his ruling, Gergel wrote that Hill did not initiate the criminal charges against Murdaugh and therefore could not be held responsible for the legal expenses he incurred. “Plaintiff’s claim contains a fatal flaw — the lack of a causal connection between the funds he expended for his defense in the first trial and Defendant’s misconduct,” Gergel wrote.
Murdaugh had argued that Hill’s actions forced him to spend $600,000 from his retirement account to fund his defense in the first trial. He claimed the misconduct deprived him of a fair trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments. However, the judge determined that Murdaugh would have incurred these legal costs regardless of Hill’s conduct, as she played no role in investigating or prosecuting the case.
The dismissal was issued without prejudice, meaning Murdaugh retains the option to refile the lawsuit if he can present a legally valid claim that establishes a direct link between Hill’s actions and his legal expenses. The South Carolina Supreme Court’s May 2024 ruling described Hill’s conduct as “shocking jury interference,” prompting the reversal of Murdaugh’s convictions and the scheduling of a new trial for 2025.
Murdaugh’s legal team has not indicated whether they plan to pursue further action against Hill. The case remains a focal point in the broader legal and public scrutiny surrounding the Murdaugh family’s downfall, which began with financial crimes and expanded to include the murders of Maggie and Paul in 2021.