Murdaugh attorneys expected to review multiple lawsuits in Monday court hearing

NOTE: Multiple cases are expected to be heard in this Hampton County courtroom on Monday. It’s not immediately clear when Murdaugh’s cases will be heard.

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HAMPTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A motion hearing will be held in Hampton County on Monday where the attorneys for Alex Murdaugh are expected to try and get at least one set of charges against their client dropped.

The hearing is another step forward in the legal battles for disgraced South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh, who is currently being held in jail on unrelated financial forgery and fraud crimes. Monday’s hearing is expected to center around a deadly boating accident where Murdaugh’s son, Paul, was believed to be under the influence of alcohol while driving the boat.

Murdaugh’s attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin will argue complaints filed in a lawsuit by Connor Cook, a passenger in the accident against the embattled attorney were meritless, irreverent, or scandalous.

In the lawsuit, Alex Murdaugh is accused of entrusting his boat and ability to purchase alcohol to his son Paul in February of 2019. The lawsuit then accuses Murdaugh of attempting to steer blame at the hospital amongst passengers from the boat accident from his son Paul to Cook who was one of the five other people on the boat that night.

Attorney Joe McCulloch who represents Cook believes Monday’s motions will largely focus on the moments after the crash at the hospital. McCulloch believes Harpootlian and Griffin will work to strike the complaints.

“Should be stricken from the complaint because of the relevancy and materiality or because they are of a scandalous nature,” says McCulloch.

McCulloch says the crash and attempt to put blame on his client left Cook with both physical and mental injuries.

“We believe the complaint is meritorious and appropriate under our rules of pleading,” says McCulloch.

The lawsuit is one of a handful Murdaugh is facing from a number of alleged victims. McCulloch says the hearing to drop allegations provides an opportunity for the court to hear his client’s story.

“It gives me an opportunity to review in excruciating detail the very allegations contained in our complaint,” says McCulloch. “Let this judge decide if those are irrelevant in material.”

Alex Murdaugh remains in jail charged with numerous crimes ranging from financial fraud and forgery to computer crimes. McCulloch believes it could be just the beginning.

“Untold twists, turns – left and right turns before we get to the end of this process,” says McCulloch.

McCulloch says other motions from lawsuits involving Murdaugh are scheduled to be heard on Monday. They include a suit filed by the family of Mallory Beach who was killed in the boating accident and one filed by Murdaugh’s former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, who died after an alleged trip and fall at Murdaugh’s home. Murdaugh is accused of cheating her sons out of millions in a wrongful death settlement.

The hearing is scheduled to start at 10:00 am at the Hampton County Courthouse.