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South Carolina Court Schedules Pretrial Hearing for Overturned Murder Convictions
A pretrial hearing is set for Monday in the case of a South Carolina attorney whose murder convictions were overturned last month. The hearing will address procedural issues ahead of a possible retrial.
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A South Carolina attorney convicted of murdering his wife and son is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing Monday after the state Supreme Court overturned his convictions last month. The hearing is expected to focus on procedural matters such as evidence deadlines and scheduling.
The court overturned the convictions after finding that comments by a county clerk to jurors and testimony about financial crimes may have influenced the jury.
Defense attorneys have asked the court to allow the defendant to wear civilian clothing and appear without restraints during future proceedings. They argue that prison clothing and shackles could affect how potential jurors view him. The defense has also requested access to DNA evidence found under the victim's fingernails for testing at a private laboratory.
Additional motions seek a laptop without internet access for evidence review and a change of venue for any retrial.
Background The defendant remains in prison serving separate federal and state sentences for financial crimes totaling about $12 million. He has denied involvement in the 2021 killings while serving a 40-year federal sentence and a 27-year state sentence.
