Murdaugh judge Newman not surprised by jury’s quick verdict

By JEFFREY COLLINS
Associated Press

The judge who presided over Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial in South Carolina told his law school he wasn’t surprised the jury came back with a guilty verdict in three hours. Judge Clifton Newman returned to Cleveland State University on Tuesday to discuss his career and the topic on everyone’s minds: the six-week trial that ended in Murdaugh’s murder convictions for killing his wife and son. Newman says jurors who listen closely over a long trial don’t want to go back over hundreds of exhibits. That’s especially true if they feel they have a good handle on the case. Cleveland State’s law school announced it will induct the 71-year-old Newman into its hall of fame in November.