Dawes Cooke Jr.

Dawes Cooke Jr. testified for the defense about representing Alex Murdaugh in the boat-accident civil case. He described the claim as defensible and Murdaugh's potential personal exposure as uncertain because insurance questions remained unresolved. He characterized objections to detailed financial discovery as customary and recalled that preparations for the anticipated hearing focused chiefly on venue and admiralty issues rather than heightened concern about the motion to compel.

Cooke interpreted an October 2021 Form 4 order as allowing counsel time to obtain the requested information and try to resolve the dispute before any necessary hearing, rather than requiring immediate production. On cross-examination, he acknowledged that he was not involved in earlier discussions, did not witness the alleged interaction between Murdaugh and Mark Tinsley, and had not closely followed the insurance dispute. He also did not know Murdaugh's actual financial condition, alleged thefts, or alleged efforts to replace misappropriated funds.

Cooke agreed that discovery continued regardless of the claim's ultimate merits and that the anticipated hearing could have produced an order, with the judge determining what had to be disclosed. Cooke explained that a production order would begin a process rather than require immediate delivery, and he agreed on recross that an order covering all requested documents would eventually result in production.