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Chief Justice Jean Toal is the presiding judge in all the matters concerning the murder conviction of former attorney Alex Murdaugh. An alumnus of the South Carolina School of Law, Jean Toal has been part of the South Carolina legal scenario since graduating in 1968. Elected the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Carolina in 2000, she served the law even after her mandatory retirement in 2015.
The Murdaugh murder case fell into her prerogative in December 2023. Justice Jean Toal ruled against the retrial for the Murdaugh murders on Monday, January 29, 2024. The case represents the trial and conviction of former lawyer Alex Murdaugh, charged with the murder of his wife and son.
Sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, Murdaugh and his attorneys appealed for a new trial, citing reasons. Justice Toal rejected the appeal, and Murdaugh’s sentence was stayed.
Who is Justice Jean Toal of the Murdaugh murder case?
Justice Jean Toal was the presiding judge appointed for the Murdaugh case in December 2023, nine months after his conviction and sentence. She rejected the latest plea from Murdaugh’s attorneys, who were asking for a new trial.
While the defense team argued that the court clerk tried to influence the jury’s decision, Justice Jean Toal maintained that the clerk’s remarks did not affect the verdict.
The clerk in question is Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill. Justice Jean Toal agreed that Hill had communicated some remarks to the jurors. However, she perceived the clerk's comments as “fleeting and foolish” and that she was “attracted by the siren call of celebrity.”
On a personal level, Justice Toal was born Jean Hoefer in Columbia, South Carolina. She graduated from law school in 1968 and was the first woman elected to the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1988. She later became the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court in 2000, a post she served till 2015.
Following her mandatory retirement for reaching retirement age, Justice Jean Toal oversaw selective cases of the Supreme Court, such as the Nukegate scandal and the asbestos-related litigations. In December 2023, she took over all issues and hearings connected to Murdaugh’s conviction.
What is the case of the Murdaugh Murders?
Alex Murdaugh is convicted of shooting and killing his wife, Margaret, and his younger son, Paul. Alex, a lawyer by profession, belongs to the prestigious Murdaugh family of attorneys. However, his younger son, Paul Murdaugh, was indicted for driving a boat while intoxicated and killing a passenger, Mallory Beach.
On June 7, 2021, Alex asked his wife to meet him at the Murdaugh family lodge. After reaching the location, Maggie found Paul dead near the dog kennels. At 10:06 pm, the local police received a call from Alex’s cell phone when he reported the bodies of his wife and son. Alex claimed to be with his mother at the time of the crime.
However, his mother has dementia, and the alibi could not be verified. Moreover, his cell phone data and a video with Alex’s voice placed him at the crime scene before the deaths. In July 2022, Alex was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. The trial began on January 25, 2023, and Alex was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
During the trial, he was also found guilty of 22 financial crimes to which Alex pleaded guilty. He was given an additional 27 years in prison for financial crimes. However, maintaining he was not guilty of the murders, Alex’s legal team pleaded for a new trial, which Justice Jean Toal dismissed.
HBO Max, Investigation Discovery, and Netflix have already covered the story of the Murdaugh Murders in documentaries, as well as other TV shows and podcasts. A movie titled Murdaugh Murders: The Movie was released by Lifetime in 2023.
The Netflix docuseries Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal was released in two parts with three episodes while the trial was on in February 2023. The second season of the remaining three episodes was also released in September 2023, five months after the verdict.
In conclusion
Justice Jean Toal was recruited by the Supreme Court of South Carolina to oversee all matters relating to Alex Murdaugh’s murder case. She was onboarded in December 2023, and Alex has been found guilty of the murders of his wife and son and sentenced to two life imprisonment to be implemented consecutively.
He was also found guilty of financial crimes for which he has pleaded guilty; however, he pleaded not guilty to the two murders. His legal team asked for a new trial recently, along with the removal of Justice Newman, who presided over the previous verdict.
This was when Justice Jean Toal was brought in. However, she rejected the defense’s plea for a new trial, maintaining that the verdict was based on evidence and fair trial.
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