SOUTH Carolina Judge, Clifton B. Newman, has been serving the Circuit Court for over two decades.
Newman is most famously known for presiding over the recent Alex Murdaugh case, which captivated the nation.
Who is Judge Clifton Newman?
Clifton B. Newman was born in Kingstree, South Carolina, on November 7, 1951.
The 71-year-old previously graduated valedictorian of Williamsburg County Training School in 1969, according to his court bio.
He received his undergraduate degree from Cleveland State University and his Juris Doctor degree in 1976 from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
In May 2000 - after 24 years as a practicing attorney and 17 years as Assistant Solicitor - Newman was elected Circuit Court Judge by the South Carolina General Assembly.
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"I enjoy the responsibility, the awesome responsibility," he told the American Bar Association in 2017.
"It's also a challenge, carrying the weight of the judicial system on your shoulders and seeking to dispense justice in a way that it should be dispensed."
Is Judge Clifton Newman married?
Judge Clifton Newman is married to Patricia Blanton.
According to his bio, he enjoys traveling, spectator sports, attending church, restoring houses and spending time in the country with his family.
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The pair share four children together: Corwyn, Jocelyn, Kellee, and Brian DeQuincey.
Their daughter, Jocelyn, is also a circuit court judge like her father, while their 40-year-old son, Brian, served as a Columbia city councilman until his death in January 2023.
Newman has been commended for his treatment of the Murdaugh trial while dealing with a devastating, personal loss just weeks before the more than a month-long trial.
What did he say to Alex Murdaugh during his sentencing?
On March 3, 2023, Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, without parole, for the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul.
On Friday, during sentencing, Newman - who is currently serving his fourth and final term as a judge with the South Carolina Circuit Court - addressed Murdaugh, saying:
"I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the nighttime when you're attempting to go to sleep. I'm sure they come and visit you."
However, after the 54-year-old, once again, claimed he was innocent, Newman said: "It might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become. When you take 20, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills, maybe you become another person."