February 23, 2023
Criminal defense attorney Rachel Fiset, the managing partner of the Los Angeles-based law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Zalduendo, spoke to Newsweek about the possibility of Alex Murdaugh taking the stand.
She highlighted that there is a danger that Alex Murdaugh could be in danger of incriminating himself or also face perjury charges if he is found to be lying.
Rachel Fiset told Newsweek: “If Alex Murdaugh decides to testify, his testimony may bolster his credibility with the jury as to what he was doing the night of the murders and give him an opportunity to defend himself personally.
“In this case, however, Murdaugh has a litany of other criminal charges pending against him and the judge did not grant his attorneys’ request to have questions regarding other crimes excluded from his cross-examination.
“Therefore, not only could he incriminate himself with his own testimony in his current case, but he may also say incriminating things regarding his involvement in other crimes – or, if he is not truthful, his testimony could lead to perjury charges for lies about those crimes.
“Even though his testimony regarding the evening of the murders could potentially garner some favor with the jury, Murdaugh has so many criminal issues pending.
“[And] his testimony is likely to put him in more serious jeopardy going forward on those issues and potentially the current case depending on how he elects to explain away many of the inconsistencies in his defense.
“As an experienced attorney himself, he is very aware of the risks of taking the stand in his own defense.“
