MORNING NEWSBREAK | Convicted murderer and serial fraudster Alex Murdaugh asked the S.C. Supreme Court to review a judge’s decision earlier this year denying his request for a new trial in the killings of his wife and son.
Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion Wednesday with the S.C. Court of Appeals asking the S.C. Supreme Court to certify the case for review by the Supreme Court itself before it is heard by the appellate court.
His defense team argues the process is appropriate in cases of significant public interest or if the legal argument holds major importance. They say both are true in Murdaugh’s case.
Murdaugh was convicted by a jury in Colleton County in March 2023 of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. He appealed the verdict, alleging jury tampering, plagiarism and ethics violations, but a judge later ruled that the allegations didn’t legally warrant a new murder trial.
In City Paper news today:
CP OPINION: It’s almost criminal South Carolina hasn’t expanded Medicaid yet. “Shame on you, South Carolina. Accepting federal Medicaid expansion money would open up vital health care coverage — which would lower costs for other people and infuse cash into rural hospitals, among other things — for 300,000 people in our state. To turn away is to fail too many voters and citizens who may not look like those in power who control the state’s purse strings.”
CP CARTOON:
CP NEWS: Meet steadfast turtle volunteers of Kiawah Island. The Kiawah Island Sea Turtle Patrol is mitigating some of the threats to nesting loggerhead turtles in a measured manner. As the largest sea turtle patrol in the state, 300+ volunteers work May through October to protect, record and conserve the sea turtles’ annual egg-laying and subsequent hatching. Since 2017, Kiawah has been the densest nesting beach of South Carolina’s developed beaches.
CP NEWS: What N.C. can teach S.C. about fixing health care. A legislative study committee tasked with examining virtually every aspect of South Carolina’s faltering health care market will not move forward in 2024 after a sweep of Gov. Henry McMaster’s veto pen removed it from the new state budget last week. This story looks at how North Carolina’s governor says South Carolina can develop a bipartisan coalition to expand Medicaid to help 300,000 people.
CP NEWS: Charleston is becoming a new yoga hotspot destination. Charleston’s yoga scene in Charleston has grown in recent months, producing tight-knit communities and more than 20 studios to explore.
CP FOOD: Charleston chef, mixologist pen ocean-inspired cookbook. Charleston chef and mixologist Sammy Monsour and Kassady Wiggins penned Salt & Shore, filled with cocktails that use oceanic ingredients such as algae and recipes using fish from grouper to shellfish in dishes from dips to stews, all an ode to cooking in the Southeast.
In other recent headlines:
Drainage improvement project in the works for James Island. Charleston County Public Works is working to improve stormwater drainage in the Town of James Island, including a project that focuses on diverting stormwater from smaller ditches that don’t have sufficient capacity to a county-maintained canal along Hollings Road.
Charleston Co. sheriff calls for more resources to help fight homelessness. Charleston County’s sheriff says tackling the issue of homelessness here in the Lowcountry will require a unified approach after a homeless man died last week at the Al Cannon Detention Center.
North Charleston group hopes to build bridges with Hispanic communities. Art Pot, a multicultural organization, works to build a bridge between Hispanic families and the agencies that serve them by sharing experiences of families across the Lowcountry to build understanding and trust.
North Charleston program offers to fight school-to-prison pipeline. The North Charleston Community Resource Center is offering summer STEM lessons and fall trade courses in an effort to stop the school-to-prison pipeline.
Closure date announced for Sullivan’s Island library renovations. Charleston County Public Library officials say they will be starting renovations on the Edgar Allen Poe branch on Sullivan’s Island soon, meaning it will have to close next month.
Complimentary car seat safety checks available in Summerville. Summerville Fire-Rescue is hosting a car seat check-up event to aid parents in their community today from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kohl’s in the Azalea Shopping Center.
Isle of Palms issuing more parking tickets than ever. Since handing over parking enforcement to PCI Municipal Services in March, more than 5,000 parking citations have been issued on the island.
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