Episode
Alex Murdaugh’s Retrial Judge Has Ties to His Lawyer — and Neither Side Objecte
- Published
- Jun 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2341
- Processing state
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- https://audioboom.com/posts/8918610
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Summary
Everyone covering the Alex Murdaugh retrial jumped on one half of Judge Debra McCaslin's story — her reported connection to defense attorney Dick Harpootlian. She rented office space from him. She named him as one of three lawyers who shaped her career. She worked a case alongside him. She presided over another where he defended an accused killer and reportedly denied the state's motion to hold his client before trial. But the half that should keep Murdaugh up at night is the one almost nobody is talking about. McCaslin's bench record reportedly tells a different story than her early career connections. Life sentences in murder cases. Rulings that sided with law enforcement when defense attorneys alleged misconduct. A judge described by lawyers who have appeared before her as tough, fair, and impossible to rattle. If you're sitting in a cell hoping your judge gives the defense every benefit of the doubt, her record suggests the opposite. Defense attorney and former felony prosecutor Eric Faddis examines both halves with the eye of someone who has lived in courtrooms where a judge's history with counsel hangs over every proceeding. He explains how much raw power one judge holds over a case this size — from what evidence survives to where the trial takes place — and why the ruling on financial crimes testimony may be the single most consequential decision McCaslin makes before a jury is ever seated. The Supreme Court said the first trial went too far. McCaslin decides how far is far enough this time. Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://w…