Murdaugh’s defense team wants retrial in Charleston, but court demurs

MORNING HEADLINES | Lawyers for infamous inmate and former Lowcountry lawyer Alex Murdaugh want his murder retrial to be in Charleston instead of Colleton County, citing major logistical hurdles for picking a jury, according to court documents released Wednesday.

But the judge in the case wrote that other locations – because next year’s retrial would be during Charleston’s tourist season – might be better. Possibilities included Spartanburg, Newberry, Lancaster, York or Florence counties.

“If the only county in the entire state of South Carolina the defense team is willing to consider is Charleston, which undoubtedly would be the most expensive and logistically difficult county to pick, then the state is compelled to oppose a change of venue,” the court wrote.

Meanwhile, a Friday pretrial hearing in Lexington County in Murdaugh’s second murder trial is expected to hear passionate arguments about DNA evidence, his previous financial fraud convictions, phone records and his past murder trial testimony.

Murdaugh’s murder case continues to draw global attention. More than 40 media outlets packed a June 29 hearing in the case in which more than 20 books have been written.

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CALENDAR: How to find cool things to do around town

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