Alex Murdaugh has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Rebecca “Becky” Hill, the former court clerk who allegedly influenced the jury that convicted him in the 2023 murders of his wife and son. The lawsuit was filed Sunday in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Supreme Court Overturns Convictions

The lawsuit comes four days after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Murdaugh’s double murder convictions and life sentence. The court ruled that he was denied his right to a fair trial due to Hill’s “improper external influences on the jury.”

“Mr. Murdaugh brings this action to hold Ms. Hill accountable for her wrongful conduct under color of state law and to recover compensatory and punitive damages as provided by law,” the lawsuit states.

Claims of $600,000 in Damages

Murdaugh’s legal team claims he suffered $600,000 in monetary damages as a result of Hill’s actions. They also seek attorney’s fees and costs. Jim Griffin, one of Murdaugh’s attorneys, stated Monday that none of the money would go to his client personally.

Hill’s attorney, Will Lewis, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

Murdaugh’s defense team, including Griffin, Dick Harpootlian, and Phillip Barber, held a press conference Monday outside their offices in South Carolina. They emphasized the need to investigate the full scope of Hill’s actions as Murdaugh faces the possibility of a new trial.

“With the South Carolina Supreme Court’s ruling, it has been adjudged as a matter of state law that she deprived Alex of his constitutional rights, deprived him of a right to a fair trial,” Griffin said. “As a result, we’ve got to do it all over again, which nobody wants to do.”

Background of the Case

Murdaugh, a former personal injury lawyer, was convicted in 2023 for the June 2021 killings of his wife, Margaret “Maggie” Murdaugh, and their 22-year-old son, Paul. The case gained national attention and became a true crime phenomenon, with numerous documentaries and podcasts covering it over the years.

Prosecutors accused Murdaugh of committing the killings to gain sympathy and distract from financial crimes that threatened his public reputation. The jury convicted him on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime. He had pleaded not guilty.

Murdaugh, a member of a prominent South Carolina legal family, has consistently denied killing his wife and younger son since their bodies were found on his estate. In the lawsuit, his legal team states: “He maintained his innocence then. He maintains his innocence now.”

Griffin said he spoke to Murdaugh from jail after the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned his convictions. According to Griffin, his client remained incredulous and was having “a hard time believing it.”

Murdaugh insisted he deserves jail time for his financial crimes but not for the murders, Griffin added. It has been “almost unbearable” for him being convicted of something he did not do, he said.

Hill pleaded guilty in 2023 to criminal charges for showing sealed court exhibits to a photographer and lying about it in court. She was sentenced to a year of probation but denied improperly influencing the jury. “There is no excuse for the mistakes I made. I’m ashamed of them,” Hill said in a short statement to the court.

During Murdaugh’s murder trial, Hill was responsible for overseeing the jury. People in that administrative role typically manage the logistics of bringing jurors to the courtroom and ferrying notes between the panel and the court during deliberations.

Barber, one of Murdaugh’s lawyers, said the integrity of the jury process “was violated by somebody sworn to uphold it.” “That’s why we’re here today, and that cannot go unanswered,” Barber said. “That’s what we’re going to do with this lawsuit.”

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who prosecuted Murdaugh, stated his office was unaware of Hill’s alleged conduct during the trial. He described the behavior as inappropriate but ultimately harmless.

Wilson disagreed with the decision of the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn Murdaugh’s convictions and vowed to retry the case by the end of the year. “In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, we’re back to square one on this case, and that means all our legal options are on the table, including the death penalty,” Wilson told NBC News.

Harpootlian, another of Murdaugh’s attorneys, criticized Wilson during the press conference, saying: “The law is clear that he cannot seek the death penalty if it is due to vindictive prosecution.” “Why is he saying he’s going to seek the death penalty? Is there some new piece of evidence?” Harpootlian said. “We’ve seen this process since the beginning of this case, where Alan Wilson plays politics as opposed to playing prosecutor.”

Wilson, who is running for governor of South Carolina, responded to Harpootlian’s comments during a TV appearance on Fox News following the press conference from Murdaugh’s legal team. “Our reconsideration of the death penalty was made in consultation with our legal team. I haven’t talked to anyone with my campaign team about this,” Wilson told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Murdaugh remains behind bars on concurrent sentences of 27 years and 40 years for state and federal financial crimes to which he pleaded guilty.

Neil R. Gordon, who co-wrote “Behind the Doors of Justice: The Murdaugh Murders” with Hill, confirmed to NBC News that the book generated about $100,000 in profits. Gordon said that Hill and her husband received 65% of the book’s profits, while he and his wife received 35%. Gordon did not comment on Murdaugh’s lawsuit against Hill.