Following the six-week Alex Murdaugh double-murder trial, expert attorneys now claim that although the judgment is still undetermined, it will likely be either a guilty or a hung jury.
Judge Jeanine Pirro of Fox News claimed that the prosecution in Alex Murdaugh‘s double homicide case may have overlooked crucial details that could have influenced the verdict on “The Five.”
What happens if there is a hung jury?
A hung jury is one in which the majority of the jurors cannot reach a verdict—guilty or not guilty—because they cannot agree with regard to casting a vote. The case is typically re-tried in the event of a hung jury.
After a hung jury, one of three things may occur:
The first option is for the state to choose to retry the defendant before a fresh jury panel. Here, the whole trial process will need to be repeated for both parties.
Second, the state may decide to drop the accusations against the defendant after determining that it has little chance of succeeding at trial.
Third, the state has the option to work out a plea agreement with the accused. The state would enable the defendant to accept a lesser charge and a lesser sentence for a crime by providing a guilty plea.
Also Read: Maggie Murdaugh’s phone becomes crucial evidence in Alex Murdaugh’s defense’s closing arguments
In the event of a hung jury, the defense team is typically in a better position than the prosecution.
Murdaugh, 54, is accused of killing his wife Maggie, 52, and their son Paul, 22, but he has vehemently denied any participation. If found guilty, he might spend the rest of his life in prison.
In order to prove that Murdaugh is lying about the alleged deaths of his wife and kid and is guilty, the prosecution has laid out a ten-year history of fraud, thievery, drug misuse, falsehoods, and manipulation by Murdaugh.
Also Read: Who is Judge Clifton Newman, presiding over Alex Murdaugh’s murder trial?
Attorneys for Murdaugh and the prosecution were scheduled to make closing arguments after viewing the site on Wednesday. According to court officials, jury deliberation might start by Thursday.
