A federal court has reversed the conviction of Alex Murdaugh’s alleged fraud accomplice Russell Laffitte, according to court records.
On Thursday, a panel of judges in the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a 37-page unanimous ruling overturning Laffitte's conviction.
The panel's ruling determined that Judge Richard Gergel's decision to replace a juror with an alternate during jury deliberations was a violation of Laffitte's Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury, according to The State.
The ruling concluded that there was a "reasonable and substantial possibility" that the removal of the first juror was a result of her views on the case, noting that she disagreed with the other jurors and was replaced. After she was replaced, the jury "returned a guilty verdict in less than an hour," according to the ruling.
The panel also determined that Gergel violated Laffitte's Fifth Amendment right to be present for the judge's questioning of the removed juror. That discussion occurred in a closed proceeding which Laffitte and his lawyers were not permitted to attend.
The ruling only took issue with the judge's actions; the prosecutors' actions during the trial were not called into question.
“In accordance with the decision of this court, the defendant’s convictions and sentence are vacated. These cases are remanded to the district court for further proceedings consistent with the court’s decision,” the panel wrote.
Laffitte will face a new trial on the same charges, according to US Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs.
“The Fourth Circuit ordered a retrial based only on the district court’s replacement of a deliberating juror. Its ruling has no impact on the charges against Laffitte going forward. We respect the court’s decision and stand ready to prove Laffitte’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt a second time,” he said.
Murdaugh was convicted last year for killing his wife and son in what prosecutors argued was an attempt to conceal his financial crimes. His son was the focus of a boating incident that killed a young woman, and Murdaugh reportedly feared an investigation into his son would ultimately bring his own crimes to light.
He pleaded guilty in state and federal courts to thefts of $10m or more from his law firm and his former clients. He has since been disbarred and sentenced to 40 years in prison for financial crimes, and two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife and son.
Murdaugh and Laffitte were childhood friends. Laffitte was found guilty in November 2022 on six counts of conspiracy, bank and wire fraud, as well as misapplication of bank funds.
He will be released from a federal prison in Florida following the panel's decision.
Another one of Murdaugh's financial accomplices, Corey Fleming, pleaded guilty to fraud and will be jailed until 2026.
