BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh is expected to appear in Beaufort County court Tuesday for sentencing on 101 financial crimes.
Judge Clifton Newman will have to accept or reject the agreement presented during the sentencing hearing scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
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This will also be a chance for the victims of the financial crimes and their attorneys to speak on their behalf. Experts predict a very crowded courtroom.
Former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon said these victims have every right to be heard.
READ MORE: Judge Newman requests removal from post-trial motions in Murdaugh murder case
“I think it will take hours to go through the harm that they’ve suffered and under a victim’s bill of rights, these victims have a right to be heard and Judge Newman has made it clear he will comply with the victim’s bill of rights,” Condon said. “So hence the need for these victims to speak if they like to. I would think most of them, if not, will speak. The crimes are extensive, and hard to understand how anyone can do that to these innocent victims.”
Murdaugh agreed to a plea deal tied to all his financial crimes on Nov. 17 at a hearing that was supposed to be regarding the first of the financial crimes. He has also agreed to waive all rights to appeal.
Murdaugh told Judge Clifton Newman that he was “happy” to plead guilty.
READ MORE: Alex Murdaugh ‘happy’ to plead guilty to financial crimes
The recommended sentence in the plea deal is 27 years with 85 percent time served, meaning Murdaugh would spend around 22 years locked up.
It still remains to be seen what will happen with the post-motion tied to Murdaugh’s request for a new murder trial. As of now, there is no hearing date set or a presiding judge after Newman recused himself on Nov. 16.
Condon believes Murdaugh’s chances of a new trial are low but still possible. If granted, Newman will not be the one making decisions.
READ MORE: Plea agreement reached for all Alex Murdaugh financial crime cases
“I think the possibility is there, but it’s low. We haven’t had an evidentiary hearing yet and we’ll see what the new evidence will produce, we’ll have a new trial judge,” continued Condon. “It is very well possible he could be a witness – which he would’ve had to recuse him because there are certain allegations there that looked as if he could be called as a witness during an evidentiary hearing. So, I think it’s very wide, step down from that, and let another judge handle that and those allegations go away.”
Newman will still preside over all motions involving the financial crimes.
