Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The banker who prosecutors say helped Alex Murdaugh move millions of dollars around to avoid detection of his thefts in exchange for a share of the money has had his conviction and seven-year prison sentence overturned on appeal. A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the judge trying Russell Laffitte’s case made mistakes handing a juror who was dismissed after saying she was suffering from anxiety during deliberations in trial. The jury had been deliberating nearly eight hours well into the night the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 2022 when she was replaced. The jury came back with guilty verdicts less than an hour later. Prosecutors say since it was the judge’s mistake they will retry Laffitte.