Court is back in session.
Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian starts the day by renewing all the defense’s motions to exclude testimony about AM’s alleged financial crimes. He says if the financial crimes hadn’t been allowed in, the defense would have advised their client to take the stand.
It sounds like Harpootian is hinting Alex Murdaugh's defense attorneys tried to talk him out of testifying. It also sounds like it didn't work.
Murdaugh’s defense is once again trying to get a court order preventing the state from asking AM about the financial crimes as part of a “character assassination” on cross-examination.
Programming note: My 'e' button has become uncooperative. Please attribute any and all typos to that moving forward, though I will try to catch them before hitting send.
Harpootlian: “We’re going to spend the next day or two or three with the state going through the minute details” of each of the financial crimes. “This is a Bernie Madoff trial. This isn’t a murder trial.” Judge Newman: You can make that argument to the jury.
Newman notes Murdaugh’s defense has done a good job of preserving its objections for appeal, if convicted. Harpootlian: “Haven’t we wasted enough time on financial matters?” Newman: “All right.”
AM was just sworn in. Judge Newman is now explaining him his rights, including his Fifth Amendment right not to be compelled to testify against himself.
Newman warns AM he can be “examined or cross-examined on any relevant issue in this case.”
The jury is not here rn. Newman notes the decision on whether to testify is Murdaugh’s alone, not his attorneys’. Newman asks if AM needs to consult with his lawyers on this any further. “No sir, I don’t need to talk to them anymore. I am going to testify. I want to testify.”
Harpootlian says the defense has one witness who will testify briefly before AM. The defense’s 10th witness is Nolan Tuten, the brother of Nathan Tuten, who testified earlier in this trial. Tuten is a friend of Paul Murdaugh.
Edited to include additional tweets