Key players in the trial of Alex Murdaugh

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - Alex Murdaugh worked for a private law firm himself prior to his legal troubles.

The South Carolina Supreme Court disbarred the disgraced attorney in July 2022.

While Alex Murdaugh will be the focus of this trial, others will debate his fate.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters is the chief prosecutor for the state’s grand jury and is the lead attorney prosecuting Alex Murdaugh. Waters has worked for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office for more than 24 years.

Defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin will represent Murdaugh.

Harpootlian has 30 years of trial experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and civil litigator. He’s also a state lawmaker, and former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party.

Both he and Griffin run private practices in Columbia, S.C.

Griffin has been lead counsel in a number of high-profile criminal cases. He previously served as assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman will preside over the courtroom in this case. The 71-year-old South Carolina native has served in his capacity for more than 20 years.

In 2021, the state’s Supreme Court appointed Newman to oversee Murdaugh’s criminal matters.

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