The judge will not impose a gag order both sides had asked for in the murder trial of Alex Murdaugh. The denial is no surprise to people familiar with Circuit Judge Clifton Newman's transparency tendency, often allowing live cameras in his courtroom.
His ruling means legal motions will not be sealed, and no one will be barred from discussing the case outside the courtroom. Last month, in his first court appearance since being indicted for the murders of his wife and younger son, Murdaugh's lawyers and the state prosecutors asked the judge to silence on both sides and law enforcement.
They cited the wave of international media attention ever since Murdaugh's original indictments on financial fraud and conspiracy last year. However, a statement accompanying Judge Newman's denial says "the defendant has a right to a fair trial, but the public has a right to know. "
