The judge presiding over disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh's second murder trial warned his attorneys today after they misrepresented the results of a polygraph test. Murdaugh has never answered questions in a polygraph test about the June 7, 2021, murders of his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul. However, his lawyer Dick Harpootlian said in court that a polygraph test showed he was being truthful about his innocence when in reality the test related to hiding assets, not murder, and said he was lying. Prosecutors filed a motion to correct the record that Judge Debra McCaslin addressed today (Friday, October 16). "The state has made a motion to correct the record concerning Mr. Harpootlian's statements concerning the defendant passing a polygraph with flying colors. This statement was made at the August 14th pre-trial conference. It is the court's understanding that Mr. Murdaugh was polygraphed as to whether he had hidden other assets. He failed this test. He has never been polygraphed as to the murders. Therefore, the record will reflect that the defendant felt his polygraph as to financial matters, and he has never been polygraphed concerning the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh." "I also received Mr. Harpootlian''s letter apologizing for any confusion. I'm going to tell you, Mr. Harpootlian, this is a court of justice, and candor with the court is not optional. Both of you have practiced law long enough to know that the court must be able to rely on the representations of counsel. I will not tolerate this conduct going forward. When you make a representation to this court, I expect it to be truthful and accurate. If you do not know something, say you don't know it, but do not tell this court something that is not true." "Further, this case will be tried in a courtroom under the rules of evidence and the law, not in the press and not in the court of public opinion. I will not allow these proceedings to become a circus, and I will not permit anyone involved in this case to use this courtroom as a platform for publicity or theatrics." Murdaugh's second trial is scheduled to begin on April 5, 2027. #law #crime #court - @meghannmcuniff