A lot has been said and written about this ever unfolding story of Alex Murdaugh. But the background reporting has not been so in depth. We all know he was powerful in that Low Country region as his family had been for almost a century. Take our the resort ares like Hilton Head and it is much like the Mississippi Delta--poor, lack of resources and support , including schools, uneducated--you get the picture.
Murdaugh and his family thrived in that environment and now that all this has come to the forefront with Alex is clearly the biggest culprit he is the one going most of the attention. If he had not botched his own murder a good chance he would not be in jail now. But he is far from the only one, but he is already so far under the bus that other with various degrees of being part of the "system" will take the high road and most will get by with it. I might add that the media often refers to him as a prominent lawyer. If it means a good lawyer, a lawyer with with a strong reputation in the SC legal community, then you would be dead wrong. Just the opposite is true. Powerful yes, but generally known as a corrupt hick.
Already we have seen his former best friend and lawyer in crime; his former law firm; and Palmetto bank all take the PR high road saying "we were victims too, we did not know." 100% bullshit. They knew, and everyone else in those counties knew. Maybe not all the details, but they knew. It was like the Germans after WWII, no one knew about the death camps. I lived in Germany and never have I heard any of that referred to as German, it is always what the Nazis did. And of course, no one was a Nazi.
But these lawyers and banks are not all of this dark underbelly. Partly because of his ties to the Solicitor's office (AD in other states) law enforcement and local courts all knew and either looked the other way or were involved in one way or another. Think you could get elected sheriff in Hampton County if Alex had given the thumbs down. Local judges are appointed and The Murdaugh law firm made those decisions. For example, you are a judge, maybe were not even a respected or successful lawyer, and you are now a judge because Alex got you appointed to the bench, your absolutely only possible way to get appointed. And Alex or his representatives come before you. If you are the opposition what are your chances. And, it is all legal. Legal is not the same as fair or ethical.
Alex will probably die in prison, if he makes it to that point. A few others will probably also get dragged in and then law enforcement, local courts and even higher courts, and local politicians, will proclaim with heads held high that we cleaned up that mess down there when we found out. Alex is the bad boy, we did not know Oh, the shame of it all., if we had only known.
It will not be the same as before but that little fiefdom will still have power in the future and SC corruption will continue. Alex deserves all the punishment he is sure to get, but the vast majority will skate and will go to their graves claiming the high road which never existed.
Murdaugh and his family thrived in that environment and now that all this has come to the forefront with Alex is clearly the biggest culprit he is the one going most of the attention. If he had not botched his own murder a good chance he would not be in jail now. But he is far from the only one, but he is already so far under the bus that other with various degrees of being part of the "system" will take the high road and most will get by with it. I might add that the media often refers to him as a prominent lawyer. If it means a good lawyer, a lawyer with with a strong reputation in the SC legal community, then you would be dead wrong. Just the opposite is true. Powerful yes, but generally known as a corrupt hick.
Already we have seen his former best friend and lawyer in crime; his former law firm; and Palmetto bank all take the PR high road saying "we were victims too, we did not know." 100% bullshit. They knew, and everyone else in those counties knew. Maybe not all the details, but they knew. It was like the Germans after WWII, no one knew about the death camps. I lived in Germany and never have I heard any of that referred to as German, it is always what the Nazis did. And of course, no one was a Nazi.
But these lawyers and banks are not all of this dark underbelly. Partly because of his ties to the Solicitor's office (AD in other states) law enforcement and local courts all knew and either looked the other way or were involved in one way or another. Think you could get elected sheriff in Hampton County if Alex had given the thumbs down. Local judges are appointed and The Murdaugh law firm made those decisions. For example, you are a judge, maybe were not even a respected or successful lawyer, and you are now a judge because Alex got you appointed to the bench, your absolutely only possible way to get appointed. And Alex or his representatives come before you. If you are the opposition what are your chances. And, it is all legal. Legal is not the same as fair or ethical.
Alex will probably die in prison, if he makes it to that point. A few others will probably also get dragged in and then law enforcement, local courts and even higher courts, and local politicians, will proclaim with heads held high that we cleaned up that mess down there when we found out. Alex is the bad boy, we did not know Oh, the shame of it all., if we had only known.
It will not be the same as before but that little fiefdom will still have power in the future and SC corruption will continue. Alex deserves all the punishment he is sure to get, but the vast majority will skate and will go to their graves claiming the high road which never existed.
