Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s attorneys tried to persuade a South Carolina judge to delay the disbarred attorney’s multiple financial fraud trials but failed to convince Judge Clifton Newman of the necessity.

Newman set the first of the trials for November 27 in Beaufort County, the case relating to Murdaugh’s siphoning of a $4.3 million settlement in the wrongful death suit of the family of his housekeeper.

Gloria Satterfield reportedly died after a fall at Murdaugh’s home in 2018 and lingered in a hospital for weeks before she died.

Previously, the judge dismissed attorney Dick Harpootlian’s arguments that he was too busy to try the case before the end of the year, that it as too soon after the end of Murdaugh’s murder trial in March, and that the fraud trials might need a change of venue.

Murdaugh’s defense team had not filed any motions on those issues.

Harpootlian also complained the the prosecutor was in too much of a rush to try the fraud cases, which were mostly indicted before the indictment on the murder trial.

Prosecutor Creighton Waters pointed out that the murder trial came first because Harpootlian insisted on a speedy trial and the court agreed.

Murdaugh was convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul in June 2021 and sentenced to consecutive life sentences. Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, his other attorney, have announced they intend to appeal, accusing Clerk of Court Becky Hill of jury tampering.

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[Featured image: Alex Murdaugh enters the courtroom on September 14/Court TV screenshot]