Who is the new judge assigned to Alex Murdaugh’s double murder case?

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The South Carolina Supreme Court has assigned Judge Debra R. McCaslin to oversee all proceedings tied to the double murder case against Alex Murdaugh, giving her exclusive jurisdiction over the matter as the state moves toward a possible retrial.

In an order dated Monday, Chief Justice John W. Kittredge said McCaslin will handle all general sessions matters connected to the case, including jury trials, civil forfeiture actions and any motions tied to the indictments in Colleton County.

Murdaugh was convicted on March 2, 2023, of two counts of murder and two counts of possessing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to life in prison the following day.

Case heads back to circuit court

The high court said Murdaugh filed a motion for a new trial on Oct. 27, 2023, and that the circuit court denied it. But on May 13, the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed that denial and sent the case back to circuit court.

Judge brings South Carolina roots

McCaslin, though born in Tampa, Florida, is described by the South Carolina Judicial Branch website as a lifelong resident of Chapin. After graduating from Chapin High School, she worked for U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond before attending the College of Charleston, where she earned a political science degree in 1990.

She received her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1993 and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year. She was also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court and the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1993, and before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1999.

After law school, McCaslin clerked for attorney J. Preston Strom Jr. She later worked as an associate at the Leventis Law Firm before opening her own practice in 1995. She remained in private practice until her election to the bench.

The South Carolina General Assembly elected McCaslin to the Circuit Court’s at-large Seat 13 on Feb. 5, 2020.

She is married to Michael W. McCaslin, a retired engineer with the South Carolina Department of Transportation. They have two children, and the family attends St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Chapin.

Judge to retain control of case

The court said McCaslin will keep jurisdiction over the case regardless of where she is assigned to hold court. The order also states that, under the assignment, she will have all powers and duties of a circuit judge in the 14th Judicial Circuit while presiding over the matter.