联邦法官理查德·格格尔周三驳回了亚历克斯·默多夫对前法院书记员贝基·希尔提起的60万美元赔偿诉讼[1][2]。默多夫声称希尔的不当行为导致其谋杀罪名被推翻上诉，要求希尔赔偿他在首次审判中支出的法律费用[1][2]。格格尔法官认定该诉讼缺乏因果关系，因为希尔并未参与起诉程序，在针对默多夫的刑事指控中没有发挥任何作用[2]。
默多夫因盗窃客户约1200万美元而认罪，目前正在服40年联邦刑期和27年州刑期[1][2]。据报道，他从退休账户中支出了60万美元用于第一次审判的律师费[2]。南卡罗来州最高法院此前推翻了原谋杀罪名和终身监禁判决，称希尔对陪审团的评论暗示默多夫有罪[1][2]。目前，谋杀案重审定于4月进行[1][2]。
Federal Judge Richard Gergel has rejected Alex Murdaugh's $600,000 lawsuit against former court clerk Becky Hill, ruling that Murdaugh failed to establish a causal link between Hill's conduct and his legal troubles.[1][2] Murdaugh filed the suit in May 2024, claiming that Hill's alleged misconduct resulted in the overturning of his murder conviction and seeking compensation for legal fees from his first trial.[1][2] The judge determined that Hill bore no responsibility for Murdaugh's criminal prosecution, as she played no role in initiating or pursuing charges against him.[2]
Murdaugh's murder conviction was overturned earlier this year by the state's highest court after Hill made comments to jurors that implied his guilt.[1][2] A new murder trial is scheduled for April.[1][2] Meanwhile, Murdaugh remains incarcerated following his guilty plea to stealing approximately $12 million from clients, for which he is serving a 40-year federal sentence and an additional 27-year state sentence.[1][2] According to court records, Murdaugh withdrew $600,000 from a retirement account to pay legal fees for his initial trial.[2]