February 24, 2023
Grunge also had an exclusive chat about Alex Murdaugh with criminal defense attorney Rachel Fiset, co-founder and managing partner of Los Angeles-based Zweiback, Fiset & Zalduendo LLP. She echoed Barhoma’s sentiments about Murdaugh likely believing he could sway the jury to his side by speaking up at his own trial. She also concurs that this will more likely than not hurt rather than help Murdaugh’s case, explaining, “Alex Murdaugh likely believed if the jury heard his story from his own voice, it would give his timeline some credibility, and he believed he would be able to convince a jury that he loved his family so much that he could never have committed the act.”
Fiset went on to analyze how Murdaugh’s own experience as a lawyer may have factored into his decision, especially when taking Murdaugh’s attorneys and their changes of strategies into account. She said, “What’s interesting about Murdaugh taking the stand is, he must have weighed all of the criminal peril he could put himself in from his other pending criminal charges, because he knew he would be asked about his other crimes. His attorneys had asked to narrow the scope of his cross-examination, and the judge denied that request. As an experienced attorney himself, he was very aware of the risks of taking the stand in his own defense, and this was a horrible move.”
