T.C. Smalls — Direct/Cross/Redirect
99 linesJUDGE NEWMAN: Your next witness.
MR. WATERS: Your Honor, the state calls T.C. Smalls.
The witness, Thomas C. SMALLS, was first duly sworn and testified as follows:
COURT CLERK: If you would, please, sir, sit right in the chair. State your full name for the record, and spell your last name, please.
T.C. SMALLS: My name is Thomas C. Smalls. Folks call me T.C. Smalls. S-m-a-l-l-s.
DIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. WATERS:
MR. WATERS: Sheriff Smalls, how are you doing today?
T.C. SMALLS: I'm pretty good.
MR. WATERS: All right. Tell the jury just a quick little bit about yourself. And I called you sheriff, so if you could just kind of explain that to them a little bit.
T.C. SMALLS: Okay. I was in law enforcement for thirty-nine years, eight months. I retired in December. Sixteen years of those thirty-nine years was I served as sheriff of Hampton County. Been in Hampton County all my life. I'm a pastor. Pretty much -- married. Four kids, seven grand kids. And just trying to enjoy some retirement. I retired December 31, the 31st day of December, 2022.
MR. WATERS: I'm sorry to pull you back in. Okay, you say you just retired, huh?
T.C. SMALLS: Yes.
MR. WATERS: All right. Do you know the defendant, Alex Murdaugh?
T.C. SMALLS: Yes, I do.
MR. WATERS: You've known him for years?
T.C. SMALLS: Oh, yeah.
MR. WATERS: Did you ever have a conversation with Alex Murdaugh about him asking you permission, or even tell you about installing lights in his private vehicle?
T.C. SMALLS: No, sir. I never had a conversation with Alex Murdaugh. Matter of fact, I never had a conversation with anyone in my thirty-nine years about installing blue lights in their personal vehicle.
MR. WATERS: That's not something that's done, is it, sir?
T.C. SMALLS: Oh, no, no.
MR. WATERS: Did you know anything about the defendant claiming that you permitted him to do so until he testified to that last week?
T.C. SMALLS: Correct.
MR. WATERS: Didn't know anything about it?
T.C. SMALLS: Didn't know anything about it.
MR. WATERS: And he never approached you at any point about that?
T.C. SMALLS: No, sir.
MR. WATERS: Did he ever approach you about any threats or anything as a result of the boat case, the boat wreck case?
T.C. SMALLS: No, he never have.
MR. WATERS: Thank you. Nothing further.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Cross-examination.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
BY MR. GRIFFIN:
MR. GRIFFIN: Good afternoon, Sheriff Smalls.
T.C. SMALLS: How are you doing?
MR. GRIFFIN: My name is Jim Griffin. I'm a little hoarse. This pollen is getting to me so this won't take long. You've known Alex Murdaugh for many, many years. Is that correct?
T.C. SMALLS: Correct.
MR. GRIFFIN: And he was a volunteer solicitor in Hampton County in the Fourteenth Circuit for a number of years, correct?
T.C. SMALLS: I realize he work along with his father --
MR. GRIFFIN: Right.
T.C. SMALLS: -- as a -- I don't know whether -- I thought he was an assistant solicitor, but he worked along with his father as -- in Hampton County.
MR. GRIFFIN: But he held the position of assistant solicitor for the Fourteenth Circuit.
T.C. SMALLS: Yes, he did.
MR. GRIFFIN: And he worked with his father.
T.C. SMALLS: Right.
MR. GRIFFIN: Tried cases in Hampton County and perhaps Colleton County and other places. Were you aware of that?
T.C. SMALLS: Correct, yes, sir.
MR. GRIFFIN: And are you aware of him trying any cases when it wasn't with his father?
T.C. SMALLS: Not to my knowledge.
MR. GRIFFIN: Okay, and his father was -- we're talking about Randolph Murdaugh.
T.C. SMALLS: Correct.
MR. GRIFFIN: And he was previously solicitor. Is that correct?
T.C. SMALLS: Right.
MR. GRIFFIN: And are you aware that Alex Murdaugh was issued a badge for that position?
T.C. SMALLS: No, I was not.
MR. GRIFFIN: Okay, and there's some -- you were questioned about permission that -- whether you gave him permission to have the blue light installed in the vehicle, and you said you did not, correct?
T.C. SMALLS: Correct.
MR. GRIFFIN: Do you know whether Anthony Russell gave him permission?
T.C. SMALLS: I can't answer that.
MR. GRIFFIN: And who is Anthony Russell?
T.C. SMALLS: Well, during my time when I was sheriff, Anthony Russell was a captain in my administration. He later became sheriff. After I retired, he ran and he won the office of sheriff, and he holds the office now.
MR. GRIFFIN: And he was maybe not your right-hand man, but he was pretty high up in your administration.
T.C. SMALLS: He was a captain.
MR. GRIFFIN: Okay, and then Chauncey Solomon, he was -- what was his position?
T.C. SMALLS: Chauncey Solomon was a lieutenant.
MR. GRIFFIN: And Perry Singleton, he passed away. What was his position?
T.C. SMALLS: He was a lieutenant.
MR. GRIFFIN: And do you know that Deputy Russell and Deputy Solomon and Deputy Singleton were very close to Alex Murdaugh? Were you aware of that?
T.C. SMALLS: Well, I knew they knew him. I don't know how close they were.
MR. GRIFFIN: Okay, and did Eddie -- did Eddie Gibson install the blue lights on the vehicles at -- for the sheriff's department?
T.C. SMALLS: Not from my cause. Most of my vehicle lights was done with a company out of Orangeburg, and then later we started working with a man -- or a gentleman by the name of Charles Mitchell that installed lights, and he had a -- I think Hardeeville and Bluffton.
MR. GRIFFIN: So, you don't know -- do you know who Eddie Gibson is?
T.C. SMALLS: Oh, I know who Eddie Gibson is. He worked with me at one time.
MR. GRIFFIN: And when he worked for you, did he install blue lights? He worked on the vehicles, a fleet of vehicles?
T.C. SMALLS: No, not my vehicles.
MR. GRIFFIN: Well, when he worked for you, what did he do?
T.C. SMALLS: He was a deputy sheriff. He patrolled.
MR. GRIFFIN: And so you're unfamiliar that at any point in time Mr. Murdaugh had a blue light in his vehicle?
T.C. SMALLS: I never had any knowledge that he had blue lights in his vehicle.
MR. GRIFFIN: Okay.
MR. GRIFFIN: Thank you. That's all of the questions I have.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Anything further?
MR. WATERS: Your Honor, may I approach? Can we approach very quickly?
JUDGE NEWMAN: Yes. Let's everyone stand for a moment.
(A bench conference was held.)
JUDGE NEWMAN: Okay. Anything further of this witness?
REDIRECT EXAMINATION
BY MR. WATERS:
MR. WATERS: Sheriff, when did your term end?
T.C. SMALLS: I retired on December 31st, 19 -- 2022.
MR. WATERS: 2022.
T.C. SMALLS: Yes, sir.
MR. WATERS: So, just a couple months ago.
T.C. SMALLS: Right.
MR. WATERS: Thank you for coming down.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Anything further?
MR. GRIFFIN: No, Your Honor.
JUDGE NEWMAN: Thank you, sir.
(The witness exited the stand.)