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A federal judge dismissed Alex Murdaugh's lawsuit against Becky Hill seeking $600,000 in legal fees.

A federal judge in South Carolina threw out a civil lawsuit filed by Alex Murdaugh against former Colleton County clerk Becky Hill. Murdaugh sought $600,000 in compensatory damages to cover legal fees from his 2023 murder trial, which was eventually overturned due to Hill's alleged jury interference. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the lawsuit suffered from a "fatal flaw" because Murdaugh would have incurred the costs of his defense regardless of Hill's misconduct. The judge noted that Hill did not initiate the criminal charges, meaning the financial loss was not directly caused by her actions. The case was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Murdaugh to potentially refile the claim in the future. Following the dismissal, Murdaugh's attorneys filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Murdaugh remains in prison while awaiting a retrial for the murders of his wife and son, which is tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2027.

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