TRUE CRIME NEWSAlex Murdaugh Judge Declares She Will Not Let Retrial 'Become a Circus,' Warns People Not to Use Courtroom for 'Publicity or Theatrics'
Alex Murdaugh appeared in court in Lexington County on Friday, October 16.
Oct. 20 2026, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
Judge Debra McCaslin, who is presiding over Alex Murdaugh's retrial for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and their son, Paul Murdaugh, will do her best to not let the trial devolve into a public display.
“I will not allow these proceedings to become a circus, and I will not permit anyone involved in this case to use this courtroom as a platform for publicity or theatrics,” McCaslin said in court on Friday, October 16.
The Judge Scolded Both Sides
Judge Debra McCaslin said she 'will not allow these proceedings to become a circus.'
McCaslin warned both sides after Alex’s defense team and prosecutors clashed as they argued over evidence during a two-hour hearing in Lexington County.
“This has got to stop,” McCaslin stated, according to a report.
She added that a jury, not public opinion, would ultimately decide the case.
“This case will be tried in a courtroom, under the rules of evidence and the law, not in the press and not in the court of public opinion,” she shared.
Several documentaries and the Hulu drama series Murdaugh: Death in the Family, which premiered in October 2025, have covered the case.
McCaslin Said the Retrial Will Start in April
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were killed on Monday, June 7, 2021.
McCaslin had no patience for delays, saying, “This trial is starting on April the 5th whether you like it or not.” She added, “Do not ask for a continuance. It’s not going to happen.”
Alex will appear at a pretrial hearing on Friday, November 13, in Lexington County, before the retrial is scheduled to start on Monday, April 5, 2027, according to a report. During Friday’s hearing, the parties dealt with several motions the defense filed recently, including an October 5 filing requesting the personnel and disciplinary records of law enforcement agents who investigated the murders.
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Defense Attorneys Won a Fight Over DNA Testing
DNA samples taken from Maggie Murdaugh’s fingernails and cellphone will undergo more testing.
McCaslin ruled that Alex’s lawyers have “every right” to conduct additional DNA testing on three samples containing unknown male DNA, including two collected from under Maggie’s fingernails and one taken from her cellphone. Prosecutors argued that this additional testing may consume the remaining DNA, but the judge supported the defense’s position.
The evidence “has the potential to identify individuals connected to the offense, or at least say somebody was not tied to the cell phone and also the fingernails,” McCaslin stated. She did, however, reject a broader defense request for ballistics data.
Alex’s Murder Convictions Were Overturned in May
South Carolina’s Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions in May.
In March 2023, Alex, a disbarred former South Carolina attorney, was convicted of fatally shooting Maggie, 52, and Paul, 22, on Monday, June 7, 2021, at the family’s hunting property in Colleton County, S.C., for which he received two consecutive life sentences. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex’s convictions on Wednesday, May 13, citing jury tampering by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill.
In 2025, Hill pleaded guilty to charges including obstruction of justice, perjury, and misconduct in office. Alex has maintained his innocence in the killings, and he remains in prison as he continues to serve a 27-year state sentence and a 40-year federal sentence for financial crimes, such as stealing millions of dollars from his law firm and clients.
