COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Attorneys for convicted murderer and disbarred Hampton County lawyer Alex Murdaugh filed a petition Wednesday asking the S.C. Supreme Court to excuse Judge Newman from presiding over all of his future trials.

Murdaugh and his defense team are asking for excusal stating Newman was aware of alleged jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk Rebecca Hill.

In addition, he claims Newman made numerous statements showing bias against Murdaugh and congratulated the jury for making the right decision after conviction.

The petition references Judge Newman saying, “The verdict that you have reached is supported by … all of the evidence pointing to only one conclusion, and that’s the conclusion that you all have reached. So, I applaud you all for, as a group and as a unit and individually, evaluating the evidence and coming to a proper conclusion…”

Judge Newman presided over numerous Murdaugh cases, including the double murder trial where he was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.

Murdaugh is set to testify for a hearing on the financial crimes case involving the family of his former housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, presided over by Newman this November.