@@marvincaldwel111 - Eww! Hitting on random women in the comment section is creepy. Do you ask _men_ how they're doing, too - or just bother *_women?_* Stop it!
After all of the red flags AM paralegal is still giving AM the Benefit of the 🧐 Doubt. And l will never believe that all the monies stolen went for pills. No fricken way.
How can you say she's articulate? She's worked fur Alex how long, nine years, and she can't even pronounce his name. Every time she says Alec, I think his name is Alex, it's an x, but a c. So, to say she's articulate is far from the truth!
@@sue-brownhenry3220 Alex Murdaugh is actually pronounced Alec Murdock by the entire Murdaugh family. They use the old English pronunciation of Alex which is Alec. I didn't realize it when the story first came out but as I watched more interviews and more of the trial, hearing them all say Alec, I looked it up. I had been pronouncing it Alex Murdah myself until a few weeks ago.
It is quickly apparent that this is a person is of high integrity. As I watch her testimony,, I see such beauty in her. We all need an "Annette Griswold" in our lives. She oozes kindness, competence, graciousness, and depth of character. -What a lovely human being!!❤👌👏🌹🌻
This woman is a rockstar. Cool as a cucumber, more impressive than any of the attorneys. She stares down the defense attorney with a look of steel (what was he trying to do with his line of questioning anyways?). Most damaging to Alex is the fact that this woman clearly respects and even loves him and yet is honestly testifying against him... simply because it is the right thing to do. This is the type of person that is a worthy role model for our young people everywhere. Bravo, Annette!
I have utmost respect for this judge. He remained unruffled throughout, kept control of the court, was respectable to all, was fair and unbiased, and is a shining example to lawyers and judges everywhere. Thank you Judge Clifton Newman.
This is the type of lady that makes the wheels of any business turn, she’s passionate about her job and is clearly a consistently hard worker. I hope more opportunities come her way I’m wishing her a happy life despite the chaos of the circumstances.
I was a legal secretary for several years. I can honestly say this woman is an impressive witness. She would have been considered by the people in that firm as an unsurpassed legal assistant and trusted implicitly. She would have been put in the category of..."we can't operate without her".
Except that he did operate as a thief without her-until she found that cheque ‘fluttering to the floor’. He got so cocky leaving the paper trail PROOF so that others could find it. That’s WHY he was so on edge about WHO HAD BEEN IN HIS OFFICE!!! ‘‘Twas just a matter of time before the thievery was up-then he had to go ‘one better’…..murder….. if it had not been for Paul drunkenly slamming a boat into the bridge, he may have gotten away with it longer. Who knows whether he blamed Paul for that, and of course once Maggie saw Paul murdered, she had to be murdered too. Will we ever know the TRUTH??
My thoughts exactly! This woman is phenomenal imo. She has went through a lot losing her father and her husband yet kept her head up. Very intelligent woman and yes a credit to her profession. She wowed me I must say!
I love that when she was describing her job she said that the other lady she worked with was equally important despite working on the smaller cases. Nice lady
What an outstanding human this woman is. Intelligent, articulate and compassionate with a moral compass. Something that is sadly lacking in today's society. Good for her. Great job
@Tara Mcgavan That doesn't negate the fact that what they just said about her still rings to be true- that she is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, and has a good moral compass. I don't understand why so many people always want to take any opportunity they have to try to bring somebody down when they are being complimented...I guess some, like yourself, just hate to see others shine. What is funny about it though, is it's always the people like you trying to bring others down, picking at any little thing you can, that in reality, do much much worse and are much less successful than any of the people they are trying to scrutinize and bring down. What a terrible attitude to have- it certainly won't contribute to success or a happy life. Good luck with that.
@@Mischa21xo I agree. I think it's disturbing when people suggest or accuse others of having participated in wrongdoing because of their association w/someone accused of a crime. (Guilt by association). How would they like to be held as complicit in the court of public opinion? Now, everything about you can be openly scrutinized across SM in the blink of an eye if you so much as have any association w/someone accused of a crime And some of these YT podcasters have contributed to the mob mentality. Last I heard, Bryan Kohberger's two sisters got fired from their jobs because of who they're related to. No matter what anyone thinks of Bryan Kohberger, he hasn't even had his day in court and his family is being treated like they've got the plague even though as far as I know, his family hasn't done anything wrong and hasn't been charged w/a crime.
She is an outstanding witness. She answers the questions calmly and doesn't seem to have an agenda. She's not trying to make him look good and she's not trying to make him look bad. She's simply telling the truth. HOW REFRESHING!
"What boat crash"! If that didn't sum it up in three words! That was Alex's schtick! To do everything in his power to distract from the hole he'd dug himself into.
My former boss was embezzling from the company he co-owned with his wife to pay for a luxury car and luxury home for a mistress. My boss had planned to blame ME for his embezzling. So I highly suspect Alex was planning on blaming the missing money on his paralegal. She caught him by chance, much like I caught my own boss. To betray your own family and your own employees is disgusting behavior.
@@tinawindham6958 lol. I wondered after the first comment who you meant. You can edit your comment next time for clarification. (Click on the three dots in upper right corner of your comment and choose edit.)
I was working for a huge company called Ga pacific and they were stealing money put everybody out of work. It was a great job. Ppl had been there for 40plus year's that tells u a lot about a company. Imagine showing up for work and it's locks on the door and news outside. I wanted to retire from there. But upper management was stealing money going on lavish vacays... They shut the whole warehouse down
She is the unsung hero who actually uncovered all his stealing at the firm not the CFO accountant it was her. She reported all of it to the CFO accountant who also did a good job confronting him but had this girl not discovered what he did he could have very well still be doing it till this day. Unbelievable. Great job hope you at least got a raise! If not someone hire this woman. From a Proud fellow paralegal!!!
@@LowCountryMTBI completely agree. Jeanie was VERY arrogant on stand and acted like she should get a purple heart, but, she was the HEAD of the finance office and missed this for DECADES? Give me a break. She would have also been fired that day! I hope his girl, and the other two from accounts payable, got a huge promotion/raise!
I was telling a lawyer friend that and he said that if John Grisham wrote this, his editor would scold him for it being too over the top to be believable.
Grisham wrote some great books. I recommended the Painted House to my mother and she loved that book and eagerly waited on the follow up that John never got back to before she passed. The only book that had nothing to do with lawyers as far as I know, but I maybe wrong about that.
Except Grisham’s criminals would probably be more organised and less impulsive. What a nightmare this AM must have been as a colleague - immature , dishonest, disorganised spoilt, and not overly intelligent IMO
I think his narcissistic personality disorder blinded him to the fact that she is as intelligent as he is...and more efficient, effective, and ORGANIZED. She has more common sense and the ability to read the room...which he does not. She had the upper hand all along and he never knew it. More over, she naturally possesses humility - something he wouldn't know if it bowed down to him or bitchslapped him ten ways to Sunday.
I’m sure she was compensated for her time. She seemed to make a big deal about staying half an hour or an hour late. It’s a law firm… employees and attorneys work late…
@@bonniejosavland3227 lol I said “compensated,” but regardless … paralegals, legal secretaries, and attorneys are generally paid overtime. Its pretty much the industry norm outside of the government. She also mentioned that the firm was very supportive when her father was sick… she was out of the office for medical appointments several times… all of those things can be considered “compensation.” Even if she wasn’t paid overtime or compensated in some alternative way, people in the legal field are used to working past their regular hours.
I’m a legal professional with 20+ years work experience, and this young woman represents the best of us. Her high professional standards are on full display here and were the motivating force to get to the bottom of the discrepancies she discovered concerning client funds. If you’ve ever worked in law firm then you know how much power and authority a managing partner wields and as a subordinate how big your balls have to be to speak truth to that power or, God forbid, question their actions. But her ethics and professional standards gave her no choice. If it weren’t for her relentless pursuit of the truth who knows how many more clients AM would have embezzled from before being caught. Im just sorry this happened to her. She would be an asset to any law practice.
I'm wondering if these discrepancies weren't found at that time. If Maggie and Paul would still be alive. I think he used the murders as a diversion. To try and take the focus off things. If only for a while.. What a monster he is.
@@jaggirlMaybe it would've. I think he did this to save his own skin. He was hoping for pity & to be victim. Get the law firm staff off his back. Get the civil case dropped because if all this blew up Alex could've lost his homes, his $, his job, law license & possibly his marriage & possibly his son Paul to prison for the boat crash.
This woman is one of a kind! So articulate and poised . I would be a complete mess!! Horrible she had to go through this! That moment that it hits her "He lied to me" ! So sad
She’s a paralegal she needs to be like this for her job .. I do the same work but I live in the U.K. and work with will, trusts and funds .. my heart broke for the lady who looked after his mother 😔
I used to be a legal secretary, then a paralegal, now in legal support management and I hate to say it but the way she describes Alex is so typical of so many lawyers. If you want to know the down and dirty at any law firm or legal department, go straight to the legal secretaries and paralegals and you’ll get the real story! Impressive witness.
True of many types of offices. The "players" aren't looking behind them, just to the next "game." The support workers are observing (all) as well as doing most of the work during office hours.
I wanted to say a few nice things about this lady and how she struck me as someone whose kind as well as confident, smart as well as humble but it looks like everyone beat me to it. I so often lose hope in humanity when online, it's nice having it restored once in a while.
The fact that she was so worried and even her daughter was extremely worried about her job if she exposed Alex’s corruption hurts my heart . She is very courageous for doing what was right for the sake of those clients And even after knowing what she knew she still rallied around Alex and his family for safety and support .
I feel like her testimony is 💯 true and I feel Alex tried to use her in narcissistic triangulation and she wasn’t having it. She is not only intelligent by her career but she is 100 has common sense too and that is rare nowadays.
I am former City Clerk. I loved my job. However, after 5 years, I beame disabled, and so tried to work 1/2 time, which our City Council was fully supportive of. I HATED having to eventually leave that position, because the Council Members were so great to work with ( which, with so many people on the Council (5) many City Clerks have headaches to trying to juggle different personalities that many times have their own personal agenda. I was very lucky in my that respect. Our Council always kept the City as a priority, not their own agendas. Two weeks after I began my employment with the city the mayor who was there when I was hired wanted me to only listen to what he told me to do and not what the council told me to do when it came to directions concerning purchases for the city. I won't go into great detail but suffice to say I answered truthfully to the council when they question me about why I had not purchased governing body handbooks for them when they had asked me to the prior meeting 2 weeks prior to this. The mayor had come in and told me during the week not to order the handbooks, that he was in charge of me and the city, and that I was under his employment and his direction. So just put me in a hell of a position. I answer truthfully to the council why I had not ordered the books that next meeting when they questioned me. The mayor showed up the next day cussing me screaming at me, until one of the maintenance supervisors came in and shut him down verbally. Just by chance that night was going to be another night for council meeting. The council asked me did I order the books? I said yes I did. The mayor went berserk screaming and yelling at everyone, and basically saying the same things to the council that he had said to me. The council made it very clear to the mayor that the council as a whole was in charge of the city not just the mayor, and that I had done as they had requested, and I would not be punished for doing so. The mayor stood up, stated he was resigning, and stormed out. I was very nervous about my position at that point however I also knew that my integrity and honesty was not going to allow me to be bullied into being dishonest in any way shape or form. The next council meeting two weeks later I was given a substantial raise in pay, which wasn't necessarily a result of just that situation. It was a result of taking a city that was still writing out all of their utility bills by hand, keeping books by hand, and so many other things that needed updating. There was a computer brand new sitting in the corner of my office when I first started, and although the elderly woman who I replaced did an absolutely clear and concise job of tracking everything things needed to be established on a computer to save time, and to update many things. I had accomplished that, and very many other things that needed updating the first 3 months that I was there. This lady who is justifying in the peach shirt? I can feel her thoughts, and know what it's like to be put in a position where someone is doing something they shouldn't be doing, yet they are above you in authority, and try to use that authority to intimidate you into doing things that you know are not right. Ironically, Alex is the attorney, however she has much more common sense, and she was very smart to document anything that was questionable that was going on while she was in his employment. From everything I have watched over the last week or so about this trial, I think Alex comes from a long line of money, both family money, and money earned as an attorney. I also think that after his son (who acted as entitled as his father) have that boat wreck, and and Alex could not persuade people to do things in favor of his son or himself liability-wise, I think he went off the rails mentally completely ( which was not a long trip) and not knowing how to cope, take accountability for his mistakes in the way he raised his son and the mistakes that he made in how he was running his company etc, I think he did kill both his son and his wife for insurance money. I think he regrets doing that but not because he killed them. I think he regrets it because he got caught. Just like he got caught for redirecting money to continue his lavish lifestyle. This whole thing is a very sad situation which could have very easily been avoided. I do not think that Alex expected people to be truthful, and in fact expected people to cover his ass out of either loyalty, or fear and intimidation. I feel very sorry for the people surrounding Maggie and the family that is suffering because of his and his sons selfishness and disregard for others.
@@PH_1964 Labels are often placed on Southern dialogue. Here is a prime example of why these labels are false. She is articulate and what a detailed story she tells in such a relaxed and narrative style of speaking.
She has an "executive" personality. A lot of people who have that personality are not executives. She is focused, confident and difficult to rattle. Great witness!
Listening to her assures me there is still people who have solid morals and INTEGRITY! An upstanding human being and clearly an intelligent, excellent employee.
She is such an impressive witness. I also respect that she takes pride in her work and seems to be very good at her job. I love working with people like her.
@@mistletoe4961 i soo agree with both of you. I have worked with people like her during my career and it made going to work and working enjoyable. I bet we three @AmeliaS would enjoy working together. 😊
Itx great that there are so many positive comments about this lady. This is a hard time tor her and if you missed it her husband passed away while she was employed at the firm. I hope she has a good rest of her life.
I agree. She is a strong woman. I think Alex underestimated the power these women would have in his testimony. He brushes them all off, is very arrogant and condescending the way he talks to them. Especially Shelly. Throwing that in about the wedding especially after telling her to say he’s been there 40 minutes, was pretty sorry. He assumed she could be bought, like many other people he had treated that way, and he thought she would be no different. But Mrs Shelly did the right thing and this lady did as well! He’s going away for life for these financial crimes regardless of how this trial plays out. His run is over!
The scary thing is , what if ms Shelly didn’t take the bribe? Would her employment be terminated??? I would have take his offers as a threat for my family’s financial security…just a huge POS 💩
I come back often to watch this particular witness because she is extremely articulate about her job and honest. I've watched this interview at least 6 times that I can recall. And I'm gonna watch this again and again for a while. She's gold!
very sweet witness, big heart taking care of parents and supporting husband for his degree. 9 years is a good amount of time to know the personalities in the office. Her respect for Alec came across, but her knowing what is right and wrong was her intuition that something didnt make sence.
When did her suspicions start - I bet before she disclosed. You don’t work that closely with someone for that long and have no idea that some things are just not being handled properly. Where does loyalty to one individual versus the firm get tangled?
@@SJC49 A great question. Its a blurry line from the first seed of suspicion to outright realization. And then she had to grapple with how to handle it.
@@SJC49 his ways of hurriedness and chaos - last minute- paired with the stress, busy-ness and craziness of a busy law firm and it can take a long time before you’re able to figure things out. When you’re in deep it can be hard to see the forest through the trees and be certain of reality. We work under attorneys and ultimately do what they say- but support staff often tend to be the brains and backbone of a law firm and know more about the inner workings than the partners/attorneys. Most people would be so surprised I think. Also, the job can be very routine depending on the kind of law you practice - when something is out of the ordinary, it sticks out. Some firms do everything on the up and up and others blur the lines- all depends. So interesting 🧐
And very cocky which is not attractive. She is a paralegal not an attorney. I feel she is over compensating, to make her look more important than she is. I worked at a Law Firm and saw many people just like her.
I absolutely LOVE & RESPECT Annette Griswold 500%. She is highly intelligent, confident, consistent, trustworthy, and precise. I applaud her on every single level. God bless her. You are so needed in every aspect of life. 🙏🏽❤️
This paralegal Annette Griswold has grown on me, and I have immense respect for her professional life and her articulate testimony against her evil boss.
I am very impressed by these women who worked for this law firm. They are extremely organized and detail oriented and they remember dates, times, numbers, people etc. Bad for Alec but very good for any business who hires them.
All except for the COO/CFO. How could his financial misdeeds have gone on so long without some serious questioning on her part? Maybe they were all a little to concerned with the ‘family’ aspect of the firm instead of paying attention to policy. Certainly won’t be hiring them in the future.
I hope you got a giant bonus for uncovering what you did. You not only helped all of the clients, you gave the firm back the respectl and integrity amongst each other and the public God bless you and your family good job.
This lady is one smart cookie! She should go to law school. She comes across as extremely competent. She’s a real asset to that law firm I’m sure. She knows her stuff with amazing recall. I’m so impressed!
Paralegals who go to law school, often do very well. My daughter's law school study partner, was a para legal for 8 years. She and my daughter both graduated in top 10% of a good law school. Each got over 5 job offers.
@@lindataylor4461 1 of the 5 was Big Law. She turned it down. Now pursuing a LLM, after few years of work. She was very nervous taking the LSAT, but did well on it. Here is a quote I promise is 100% true. When she arrived home day 1 from law school she boldly said, " I am so looking forward to this adventure, it is going to be really exciting ". In her 3L year, she did her class schedule, and was a TA, had her 3rd Federal externship, ( Circuit COA) was a law review editor, did mock trial and moot court. Her academic advisor told her do 2 of those 5 add ons. She did all 5 and played on the law school softball team. And she still enjoyed law school.
I've been watching this trial daily. I've noticed that most of the people questioned, have been so kindhearted and very sincere people. He seemed to take advantage of this kindness. This lovely single mom, could have lost her job because of his lies, thievery and deception. So glad the firm continued to employ her. Obviously she did nothing wrong here.
I agree. Watching all these people that loved him take the stand. It was painful watching his best friend Chris. He had a hard time but was honest as could be while crying his eyes out. See, Alex doesn't feel emotions so he can't comprehend how others can or how he hurts them. Very sad.
@@HarleyQwynn2016 It's a Scottish thing. We tend to pronounce "Alex" as "Alec" or at least used to because thanks to the internet etc, pronunciation and culture has become more standardized. An example is Alex Ferguson, the famous Manchester United manager from Glasgow. Scottish people always called him "Alec". Growing up, I heard a few men being called "Alec" and none called "Alex" (with the "x" pronounced). I only began hearing the "x" being pronounced by English people and other English speakers later.
I had a roommate that was a lawyer. He was so sociopathic that I left. Years later I was called to testify against him. He lost his law license and was accused of strangling his girlfriend.
This guy was not a pill popping addict like he claimed. The amount of pills at the most extorted amounts still wouldnt account for a 1 hundreadth of the funds claimed he spent on pills. And his memory is way to sharp and clear to recall the way he claims. Eating pills especaily larger dises will take 20 years and turn them into a giant blur. This drug addiction was just some excuse to pass blame and hide the fact that he still has millions stashed somewhere.
I call BS on his claim he spent 50k a week on pills. I was addicted to opiates for over 25 yrs. I typically took about 20 pills per day. Give or take, sometimes more. I functioned just fine. Never missed a day of work. It DID COST ME ROUGHLY 300 to 500 a week give or take over the yrs. Sometimes I would get breaks and get them free or lot cheaper. I NEVER paid more than 500 in a week and that was actually very rare. So to say he was spending 50k a week is bs. That amount of pills would KILL YOU. I even had some close calls using 20 pills a day. Thank God those days are over!
What an outstanding employee she has been!! Her character shines through even though this must be a stressful time for her. I bet some very rewarding job offers are going to be coming her way. Integrity and intelligence are so important in and out of the workplace.
I love this witness 💕 She's smart, articulate, ethical and obviously an asset to any law firm. I love how she likes to follow the case to the very end to getting their clients the money they deserve that would be very rewarding 😊
I would hire her in a heartbeat! I bet I’d pay her more than Alex Murdaugh ever paid her too! If I could contact her, I’d be thrilled, even if just to congratulate her for being a true hero to the legal profession!! Unlike Mr. Murdaugh!
Notice how the attorneys all stand when the jury is excused, and then everyone in the galley stands. That is courtroom decorum to stand when the judge and/ or jury enters the courtroom. But Alex Murdaugh and his attorneys all remain seated when everyone else was standing. Not great to not show respect to the jury.
@@sandrastanford3914 They have been in their own insular bubble with no one holding them to account for so long that they have no idea, at all, that absolutely have no idea that it can actually happen.
If I was his remaining son, I would move far away, legally change my name and make sure he could never find me and no one would know this was my family.
I work in Big Law and the amount of abuse that paralegals and legal assistants deal with from Partners and Lawyers, is astonishing. Constant abuse, but they take care of them with perks and a s*** load of cash... I believe everything she said.
A difference between a rigid lawyer like a drill sargent that is not a drunken alcoholic & drug addict like this Alex was & on top of that a thief & a liar!!
One of the best witnesses I have seen. Tells the truth, admits his strengths, and yet admits his failures. Very fair and objective. I hope she is doing well. Very sad about her husband.
She is the one that started the case. Jeanie Seckinger wasnt doing her job properly or she would have caught it long ago. There is no way she could have closed the files out correctly and balanced the books. Annette seems more astute than Seckinger.
I can tell she is a perfectionist. She needed to solve the mystery about the checks. No unanswered questions for her. She would have always wondered about the checks if Elek didn't get caught.
@@barneyronnie apparently so! And what they charge! All professions involving public trust and integrity have decayed. Evil always decays. This is the reason old people have to die, or its better they do because one day everybody alive and running things or going along with things will be dead. Brand new people will have a chance to think of a new way to live without being evil. Human nature aside. Aggression is not the same as evil though.
I can’t imagine sitting there as a defendant hearing a witness testify to your theft of millions of dollars and be unbothered, chewing on your gum. Completely devoid of a conscience… seems redundant I know, given why he’s on trial to begin with but man, I’d be blood red from embarrassment.
Ms. Griswold is a remarkable witness. This Lady is totally on the ball with her work; she's so efficient that any anomaly to the process stands out in her mind. Mad respect.
Bless her heart. As in many companies the Admin staff who make 1/8th what these guys make know more, do more, and care more than the millionaires at the top. She gave her all for that “Firm” and I hope she is appreciated and cared for as time goes on.
If rumor is true, the housekeeper who "fell down the stairs" was homeless at some point during her employment with Maggie & Alex. They did nothing to help her. Then, of course, Alex stole all of the kids money.
@@call.me.archie I was willing to believe this was an accident at first but after I saw how he treated her sons I'm starting to suspect he may have had something to do with her death. It was too easy, people just trusted him. He got $4M from the insurance company and it was like taking candy from a baby.
It’s amazing on one hand how incredible, honest, and loyal the people they had working for them, up against the biblical proportions of evil and disfunction of this man who destroyed so many lives.
Wow, this young lady has it together. She treated both sides with the same respect, had great recall and came across as a person of real integrity. Congrats to Annette!
Such a screwy complaint, who has insulted her for being honest or for being righteous? No one, you just made it up so you could then complain about something that never happened!
I imagine this lady has had many job offers from high integrity honest entities since this testimony. My goodness who wouldn't want her working for their company? She is a firecracker and she owns her job completely and that's a good thing. Only those that hide their funding wouldn't want an employee like this. I hope they paid her great.
Yes of course she was probably drilled by her attorney how to answer. She’s also naturally genuine. The only out of character reaction was after she saw the check. It’s clear Alec financially screwed his friends however I do believe he loved his family and placed them first. I think he was definitely blackmailed or being threatened by someone. Could be drug related 🤷♂️
You don't mess with paralegals or your secretaries they are the backbone of your business and or companies. They know everything that goes on in the workplace.
My thoughts exactly. At least when it comes to the financial crimes, it was the women, the CFO and the paralegal, who due to pride in their work and gutsiness, spotted the irregularities (admittedly after too long) and blew the whistle. Not sure the male lawyers would have been as diligent or as brave before things really collapsed.
Retired from a long paralegal career here - I suspect she and others knew these were more than mistakes long before the proof came out. That Chris Wilson fellow, who appears so honest and sweet and "look what he did to me!" in his testimony, sounds like another real charmer. You did it to yourself, Mr. Wilson, and it cost you at least 192k. And they said I'd be bored when I retired...not! The stress of a paralegal can be off the charts.
Finally someone had to say it, My thoughts exactly as I'm hearing her give her testimony. Such an intelligent lady that obviously does not lack common sense & who probably knows his job better then him, I highly doubt she had no clue or was as confused as she claims. I feel like she turned the blind eye as much as she could or as she was told for the sake of her loyalty towards him, possibly her safety and her job but no way in hell that happened more then once & she didnt know exactly what he was up too.
This looked like an effortless testimony. Partly because of the skill of the attorney and partly because of this clear headed, intelligent, knowledgible witness. Well done to both.
She related what was happening at work to her personal life so that the jury understood why she remembered things on a certain day. But I also think she has a great memory and may have made notes about those things that didn't make sense. Suspicious even back then.
As a retired paralegal, this woman is phenomenal. Articulate, straight forward, and without hesitation. KUDOS. Oh wow, she caught his butt. You so rock lady.
i really like this lady! Her whole description & paper trail of what was happening is practically perfect! ❤ Her ability to communicate should shame anyone that puts down the grammar or accent with which she speaks.
@@skibee420 I think most people understand that a southern accent doesn’t have anything to do with how intelligent and articulate you can be, just as with any accent anywhere. I was shocked to read that comment because I haven’t seen any comments regarding her southern accent either. It’s just strange that anyone would think that way. She’s just amazing and her testimony has been tremendous, she’s an amazing asset with a sweet, kind heart.
I haven’t read anything about the accent of these folks. I personally find that “southern drawl” endearing……it definitely doesn’t diminish one’s intellect.
Something tells me it wasn’t an addiction problem. Not even gambling or extortion or blackmail. I think Alex was just slowly stashing money in some offshore banks. He’s been doing it for years, slowly and methodically. What screwed everything up was the boat crash and the fact that his finances were soon to be checked and exposed. That’s my theory. I think the stolen money is out there somewhere.
he started the stealing when he got hit with a major lawsuit for the boat crash. And it was like a Ponzi that he created to keep under the radar...robbing Peter to Pay Paul. Paying settlements slowly and incrementally instead of giving the checks to the clients as was customary. He created a dummy account called Forge so he could funnel the money to himself. He also had some real estate investments go bad during the '08 recession AND he also had a certain lifestyle and image of wealth to keep up. It all eventually snowballed. And the house of cards began to fall, fall, fall... At least, that's my theory drawn from what I've seen so far.
Why are the paralegal and CFO better public speakers than the lawyers at this law firm? 😂
Because the lawyers are all acting and they suck at it….
As someone from neighboring Jasper County.. it ain’t all about education
Women are better.
The attorneys choose their words so carefully, they often don’t relate to “civilians.” Speaking as this witness does is more relatable.
Exactly 💯 I was just thinking the same 👍
This witness is on the ball. Knows her stuff and knows how to communicate it in a clear and precise manner.
Tell that to Laviolent, first name Alyce.
Love this Witness!!! She needs to “ win” The Lottery!!!!
@@vaestkusten6041 L9
The witnesses are more impressive than the lawyers.
@@marvincaldwel111 - Eww! Hitting on random women in the comment section is creepy. Do you ask _men_ how they're doing, too - or just bother *_women?_* Stop it!
This woman should go to a law school and become the lawyer Murdaugh failed to be -- totally competent, decent woman.
she’d probably have a heart attack before she made it through
Thank you for your brilliant statement!
@@yammmit You're so original.
@@yammmityou’re overweight I’m sure of it
Proud to be a paralegal. This woman is an asset and did amazing on the stand. Well done.
Every lawyer in that court probably wishes she was working for him/her. She’s never want for a job for the rest of her life in that community.
You should be proud. My mom has been a paralegal for over 30 years and it's not as easy as people think to deal with attorneys
This is an honest paralegal. She deserves a raise.
And a promotion, vacation, and a spa ♨ treat
@@briann4871❤
Yes, she sure is!!
Great job security !!
Brian N - you could use an attitude adjustment 😮
I really hope that Ms Griswold sees these comments. She is an impressive witness and an incredible person.
yes, it's very big of her to testify. huge, even.
Lovely is as lovely does.
@@Skipbo000 what did you edit because it still was a stupid comment
I hope she can some how move on from all this one day.
@@Skipbo000 As it is stupid and classless of you
What an intelligent, articulate employee who knows her stuff and knows how to articulate it! Great respect for her.
Agreed 100,%
After all of the red flags AM paralegal is still giving AM the Benefit of the 🧐 Doubt. And l will never believe that all the monies stolen went for pills. No fricken way.
yes amazing!
How can you say she's articulate? She's worked fur Alex how long, nine years, and she can't even pronounce his name. Every time she says Alec, I think his name is Alex, it's an x, but a c. So, to say she's articulate is far from the truth!
@@sue-brownhenry3220 Alex Murdaugh is actually pronounced Alec Murdock by the entire Murdaugh family. They use the old English pronunciation of Alex which is Alec. I didn't realize it when the story first came out but as I watched more interviews and more of the trial, hearing them all say Alec, I looked it up. I had been pronouncing it Alex Murdah myself until a few weeks ago.
It is quickly apparent that this is a person is of high integrity. As I watch her testimony,, I see such beauty in her. We all need an "Annette Griswold" in our lives. She oozes kindness, competence, graciousness, and depth of character. -What a lovely human being!!❤👌👏🌹🌻
truly
Lovely comment and very true 🌹
Kindness? I see a know-it-all gossip.
Obviously the last comment is from someone unfamiliar with how law firms and the practice of law work.
Very nicely said.
This lady is absolutely wonderful. As a former legal secretary in NYC I can honestly say it's the secretaries who run the offices.
Same in schools. The principal sets the tone but Admin. makes everyone shine, including the teachers. The pay is a different topic though!
Same in all places, especially healthcare and government.
Same here - legal admin in NYC and LA - this women rocks!!! 🎉This ship has sailed, folks. 1 Timothy 6:10 “The love of money is the root of all evil”
@Jaykay You are correct. If everyone on the school's admin calls out sick on the same day, school will not function well for that day
@Jaykay You are correct. If everyone on the school's admin calls out sick on the same day, school will not function well for that day
This woman is a rockstar. Cool as a cucumber, more impressive than any of the attorneys. She stares down the defense attorney with a look of steel (what was he trying to do with his line of questioning anyways?). Most damaging to Alex is the fact that this woman clearly respects and even loves him and yet is honestly testifying against him... simply because it is the right thing to do. This is the type of person that is a worthy role model for our young people everywhere. Bravo, Annette!
Cool as a choclate covered eclair.
Is this all he has to go on here? 😫😫😫😫 sad sad man
She's loving the attention.
He was trying to establish, with a lay witness, that Alex was extremely close to his family so that he could not have killed Maggie and Paul.
Not the full 100% role model, to be honest?
I have utmost respect for this judge. He remained unruffled throughout, kept control of the court, was respectable to all, was fair and unbiased, and is a shining example to lawyers and judges everywhere. Thank you Judge Clifton Newman.
And working under the heartache of his son’s death two weeks before the trial began. Had to be hard to listen to someone kill his own son.
@@MrsEJV - What? really ?
I wonder why everyone in the courtroom rises for the jury but the defendant & his attorneys? What makes them special, I wonder.
loL o
No
Oo
Ok
@@theresa94010o 😊 I’m
This is the type of lady that makes the wheels of any business turn, she’s passionate about her job and is clearly a consistently hard worker. I hope more opportunities come her way I’m wishing her a happy life despite the chaos of the circumstances.
I was a legal secretary for several years. I can honestly say this woman is an impressive witness. She would have been considered by the people in that firm as an unsurpassed legal assistant and trusted implicitly. She would have been put in the category of..."we can't operate without her".
So we'll put !!
Except that he did operate as a thief without her-until she found that cheque ‘fluttering to the floor’. He got so cocky leaving the paper trail PROOF so that others could find it. That’s WHY he was so on edge about WHO HAD BEEN IN HIS OFFICE!!! ‘‘Twas just a matter of time before the thievery was up-then he had to go ‘one better’…..murder….. if it had not been for Paul drunkenly slamming a boat into the bridge, he may have gotten away with it longer. Who knows whether he blamed Paul for that, and of course once Maggie saw Paul murdered, she had to be murdered too. Will we ever know the TRUTH??
easy on the eyes too! I say boy
My thoughts exactly! This woman is phenomenal imo. She has went through a lot losing her father and her husband yet kept her head up. Very intelligent woman and yes a credit to her profession. She wowed me I must say!
@@lucky7mojo What is wrong with you people?
I love that when she was describing her job she said that the other lady she worked with was equally important despite working on the smaller cases. Nice lady
Yes I thought the same thing. Nice person.
That says a lot about her character. She’s great.
Yes, I noticed that very nice lady.
Wtf
A really smart, kind lady.
What an outstanding human this woman is. Intelligent, articulate and compassionate with a moral compass. Something that is sadly lacking in today's society. Good for her. Great job
Few in DC.
@Tara Mcgavan That doesn't negate the fact that what they just said about her still rings to be true- that she is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, and has a good moral compass.
I don't understand why so many people always want to take any opportunity they have to try to bring somebody down when they are being complimented...I guess some, like yourself, just hate to see others shine. What is funny about it though, is it's always the people like you trying to bring others down, picking at any little thing you can, that in reality, do much much worse and are much less successful than any of the people they are trying to scrutinize and bring down. What a terrible attitude to have- it certainly won't contribute to success or a happy life. Good luck with that.
@@Mischa21xo well said! Thank you!
@@Mischa21xo I agree. I think it's disturbing when people suggest or accuse others of having participated in wrongdoing because of their association w/someone accused of a crime. (Guilt by association).
How would they like to be held as complicit in the court of public opinion?
Now, everything about you can be openly scrutinized across SM in the blink of an eye if you so much as have any association w/someone accused of a crime And some of these YT podcasters have contributed to the mob mentality.
Last I heard, Bryan Kohberger's two sisters got fired from their jobs because of who they're related to. No matter what anyone thinks of Bryan Kohberger, he hasn't even had his day in court and his family is being treated like they've got the plague even though as far as I know, his family hasn't done anything wrong and hasn't been charged w/a crime.
indeed, literally outstanding... hehe
She is an outstanding witness. She answers the questions calmly and doesn't seem to have an agenda. She's not trying to make him look good and she's not trying to make him look bad. She's simply telling the truth. HOW REFRESHING!
"What boat crash"! If that didn't sum it up in three words! That was Alex's schtick! To do everything in his power to distract from the hole he'd dug himself into.
@@isabellind1292 13:01
My former boss was embezzling from the company he co-owned with his wife to pay for a luxury car and luxury home for a mistress. My boss had planned to blame ME for his embezzling. So I highly suspect Alex was planning on blaming the missing money on his paralegal. She caught him by chance, much like I caught my own boss. To betray your own family and your own employees is disgusting behavior.
Agree. I still don’t think he he killed his wife and son but I can believe someone wanting money for whatever he was doing offed them.
Helen Keller can see this so….maybe take off those rose colored glasses😁✌️😉
This comment was for adelina
@@tinawindham6958 lol. I wondered after the first comment who you meant. You can edit your comment next time for clarification. (Click on the three dots in upper right corner of your comment and choose edit.)
I was working for a huge company called Ga pacific and they were stealing money put everybody out of work. It was a great job. Ppl had been there for 40plus year's that tells u a lot about a company. Imagine showing up for work and it's locks on the door and news outside. I wanted to retire from there. But upper management was stealing money going on lavish vacays... They shut the whole warehouse down
I believe every word this witness says. She's a stand-up employee and I hope the law firm appreciates her honesty.
SHE HAS NOTHING TO HIDE,,
@@murielodette2995 She needs to be hired in place of Jeanne, the so called CPA/CFO/COO... she needs to be fired
@@murielodette2995 Only those gigantic boobys.
@@murielodette2995 go
except her boss of 9 years' name is Alex. She keeps calling him Alec.
She is the unsung hero who actually uncovered all his stealing at the firm not the CFO accountant it was her. She reported all of it to the CFO accountant who also did a good job confronting him but had this girl not discovered what he did he could have very well still be doing it till this day. Unbelievable.
Great job hope you at least got a raise! If not someone hire this woman. From a Proud fellow paralegal!!!
I know right. I mean the CFO’s brother in law was Alec’s bagman at the bank. I wonder just how clean the CFO lady really is
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@@LowCountryMTBI completely agree. Jeanie was VERY arrogant on stand and acted like she should get a purple heart, but, she was the HEAD of the finance office and missed this for DECADES? Give me a break. She would have also been fired that day! I hope his girl, and the other two from accounts payable, got a huge promotion/raise!
Agree 100% how did the CFO ever balance any books? She couldn't have closed any files and accounted for the monies?
As a fellow paralegal I'm very proud of Annette. She represented us extremely well.
she was amazing
This whole Alex Murdaugh saga is like a John Grisham novel that has come to life.
You nailed it‼️💯
I was telling a lawyer friend that and he said that if John Grisham wrote this, his editor would scold him for it being too over the top to be believable.
Most definitely..I love John Grishom
Grisham wrote some great books.
I recommended the Painted House to my mother and she loved that book and eagerly waited on the follow up that John never got back to before she passed.
The only book that had nothing to do with lawyers as far as I know, but I maybe wrong about that.
Except Grisham’s criminals would probably be more organised and less impulsive. What a nightmare this AM must have been as a colleague - immature , dishonest, disorganised spoilt, and not overly intelligent IMO
Sounds like Alex didn’t realize how efficient his paralegal was! Cudo’s to her for keeping notes on the checks that were hand delivered.
I think his narcissistic personality disorder blinded him to the fact that she is as intelligent as he is...and more efficient, effective, and ORGANIZED. She has more common sense and the ability to read the room...which he does not. She had the upper hand all along and he never knew it. More over, she naturally possesses humility - something he wouldn't know if it bowed down to him or bitchslapped him ten ways to Sunday.
Lololol this comment is great
it is spelled kudos and no apostrophe, dummy.
Good lesson for us all in our jobs--- document, document, document!!
Remember - he is hooked on opioids, which means he was not thinking right…💊
She an absolute doll. Professional and extremely respectful when answering the questions. Extremely intelligent. Well done. I feel badly for her.
That’s one huge doll 😊
@Jonathan Perry Seriously, Jonathan? How many comments like this have you made under this video? Do you have nothing better to do or say?
She seems a lovely lady who has been through alot and maintained her integrity throughout
@@jonathanperry6302 You're a huge doughnut.
@@jonathanperry6302You know that everyone can see you’ve made 13 comments on here about her right? Are you okay?
She is so very smart and very conscientious. How lucky it would be to have an employee like her. She is precious.
Shes a dedicated worker. Just another example how rude and selfish Alex is to not show up until it was time for them to go home after working all day.
I’m sure she was compensated for her time. She seemed to make a big deal about staying half an hour or an hour late. It’s a law firm… employees and attorneys work late…
@@Icekat11you literally can’t know whether or not they were even paid overtime 😳😭🥹
@@bonniejosavland3227 lol I said “compensated,” but regardless … paralegals, legal secretaries, and attorneys are generally paid overtime. Its pretty much the industry norm outside of the government. She also mentioned that the firm was very supportive when her father was sick… she was out of the office for medical appointments several times… all of those things can be considered “compensation.”
Even if she wasn’t paid overtime or compensated in some alternative way, people in the legal field are used to working past their regular hours.
@@Icekat11 by her testimony she didn't start this job until after her father passed away
I've worked for so many like him. They feel the world revolves around them and their staff have no personal life.
She was so precise and easy to listen to. Great communicator.
It’s hard not to be captivated by this woman. Everyone she talks about is done so with such intelligence, kindness and respect. Even AM.
I’m a legal professional with 20+ years work experience, and this young woman represents the best of us. Her high professional standards are on full display here and were the motivating force to get to the bottom of the discrepancies she discovered concerning client funds. If you’ve ever worked in law firm then you know how much power and authority a managing partner wields and as a subordinate how big your balls have to be to speak truth to that power or, God forbid, question their actions. But her ethics and professional standards gave her no choice. If it weren’t for her relentless pursuit of the truth who knows how many more clients AM would have embezzled from before being caught. Im just sorry this happened to her. She would be an asset to any law practice.
She should seek employment in a more Noble profession. Lawyers are mostly driven by greed ...
I can just imagine the egos.
I'm wondering if these discrepancies weren't found at that time. If Maggie and Paul would still be alive. I think he used the murders as a diversion. To try and take the focus off things. If only for a while..
What a monster he is.
@@jaggirlMaybe it would've. I think he did this to save his own skin. He was hoping for pity & to be victim. Get the law firm staff off his back. Get the civil case dropped because if all this blew up Alex could've lost his homes, his $, his job, law license & possibly his marriage & possibly his son Paul to prison for the boat crash.
This woman is one of a kind! So articulate and poised . I would be a complete mess!! Horrible she had to go through this! That moment that it hits her "He lied to me" !
So sad
She has mighty sharp memory for all the dates and details.
She’s a paralegal she needs to be like this for her job .. I do the same work but I live in the U.K. and work with will, trusts and funds .. my heart broke for the lady who looked after his mother 😔
Hello Jenni
how are you doing today?
She’s going to get a lot of job offers from this I suspect. Very intelligent, well spoken, and dedicated. Lots of law firms will want her.
She is well prepared.
I used to be a legal secretary, then a paralegal, now in legal support management and I hate to say it but the way she describes Alex is so typical of so many lawyers. If you want to know the down and dirty at any law firm or legal department, go straight to the legal secretaries and paralegals and you’ll get the real story! Impressive witness.
Yea narcissists all play from the same playbook
I have a feelin, more than a Feelin,ik Dr.'s Offices work the sAme wAy...🕯☮yA'll
True of many types of offices. The "players" aren't looking behind them, just to the next "game." The support workers are observing (all) as well as doing most of the work during office hours.
@@staceywooddell3181 Your keyboard has some difficulties.
the hell u sAy:...wAt..sAy:hOw...sAy:mE... sAy :🦉🍃🌝HWH🌚🦇
I wanted to say a few nice things about this lady and how she struck me as someone whose kind as well as confident, smart as well as humble but it looks like everyone beat me to it. I so often lose hope in humanity when online, it's nice having it restored once in a while.
She would be a great mentor to young ladies
Absolutely, she’s very articulate, sounds like a very decent women.
The fact that she was so worried and even her daughter was extremely worried about her job if she exposed Alex’s corruption hurts my heart . She is very courageous for doing what was right for the sake of those clients
And even after knowing what she knew she still rallied around Alex and his family for safety and support .
My family was afraid for me in a similar situation. Especially when I was being stalked. Got fired because I was bringing everything to light.
@@gloriapena3649 are you okay now? I’m sorry you had to go through that. That’s awful.
I feel like her testimony is 💯 true and I feel Alex tried to use her in narcissistic triangulation and she wasn’t having it. She is not only intelligent by her career but she is 100 has common sense too and that is rare nowadays.
What do u 2 know…u get by on your charming looks🤣
Common sense does seem to becoming a rarity.
💯 fo shizzle, my nizzle!!! Yaheeeearrrrdme
I am former City Clerk. I loved my job. However, after 5 years, I beame disabled, and so tried to work 1/2 time, which our City Council was fully supportive of. I HATED having to eventually leave that position, because the Council Members were so great to work with ( which, with so many people on the Council (5) many City Clerks have headaches to trying to juggle different personalities that many times have their own personal agenda. I was very lucky in my that respect. Our Council always kept the City as a priority, not their own agendas. Two weeks after I began my employment with the city the mayor who was there when I was hired wanted me to only listen to what he told me to do and not what the council told me to do when it came to directions concerning purchases for the city. I won't go into great detail but suffice to say I answered truthfully to the council when they question me about why I had not purchased governing body handbooks for them when they had asked me to the prior meeting 2 weeks prior to this. The mayor had come in and told me during the week not to order the handbooks, that he was in charge of me and the city, and that I was under his employment and his direction. So just put me in a hell of a position. I answer truthfully to the council why I had not ordered the books that next meeting when they questioned me. The mayor showed up the next day cussing me screaming at me, until one of the maintenance supervisors came in and shut him down verbally. Just by chance that night was going to be another night for council meeting. The council asked me did I order the books? I said yes I did. The mayor went berserk screaming and yelling at everyone, and basically saying the same things to the council that he had said to me. The council made it very clear to the mayor that the council as a whole was in charge of the city not just the mayor, and that I had done as they had requested, and I would not be punished for doing so. The mayor stood up, stated he was resigning, and stormed out. I was very nervous about my position at that point however I also knew that my integrity and honesty was not going to allow me to be bullied into being dishonest in any way shape or form. The next council meeting two weeks later I was given a substantial raise in pay, which wasn't necessarily a result of just that situation. It was a result of taking a city that was still writing out all of their utility bills by hand, keeping books by hand, and so many other things that needed updating. There was a computer brand new sitting in the corner of my office when I first started, and although the elderly woman who I replaced did an absolutely clear and concise job of tracking everything things needed to be established on a computer to save time, and to update many things. I had accomplished that, and very many other things that needed updating the first 3 months that I was there. This lady who is justifying in the peach shirt? I can feel her thoughts, and know what it's like to be put in a position where someone is doing something they shouldn't be doing, yet they are above you in authority, and try to use that authority to intimidate you into doing things that you know are not right. Ironically, Alex is the attorney, however she has much more common sense, and she was very smart to document anything that was questionable that was going on while she was in his employment. From everything I have watched over the last week or so about this trial, I think Alex comes from a long line of money, both family money, and money earned as an attorney. I also think that after his son (who acted as entitled as his father) have that boat wreck, and and Alex could not persuade people to do things in favor of his son or himself liability-wise, I think he went off the rails mentally completely ( which was not a long trip) and not knowing how to cope, take accountability for his mistakes in the way he raised his son and the mistakes that he made in how he was running his company etc, I think he did kill both his son and his wife for insurance money. I think he regrets doing that but not because he killed them. I think he regrets it because he got caught. Just like he got caught for redirecting money to continue his lavish lifestyle. This whole thing is a very sad situation which could have very easily been avoided. I do not think that Alex expected people to be truthful, and in fact expected people to cover his ass out of either loyalty, or fear and intimidation. I feel very sorry for the people surrounding Maggie and the family that is suffering because of his and his sons selfishness and disregard for others.
Absolutely! She is truly a 💎 in the ruff
How articulate this witness is.
The witnesses are articulate. The South doesn't have to tuck and run.
@@martharoark4059 Sorry Martha, I'm English. Can you explain please?
@@PH_1964 Labels are often placed on Southern dialogue. Here is a prime example of why these labels are false. She is articulate and what a detailed story she tells in such a relaxed and narrative style of speaking.
Hello Michele
how are you doing today?
@@marvincaldwel111 Marvin you are creepy AF
She has an "executive" personality. A lot of people who have that personality are not executives. She is focused, confident and difficult to rattle. Great witness!
This woman is a wonderful person, a wonderful employee and so sorry she had to go through this horrible ordeal.
I'm sorry your mom had to go through a horrible ordeal
Listening to her assures me there is still people who have solid morals and INTEGRITY! An upstanding human being and clearly an intelligent, excellent employee.
@@vandal1764 Why are you talking to yourself?
She is such an impressive witness. I also respect that she takes pride in her work and seems to be very good at her job. I love working with people like her.
People like her keep the world spinning. We all should be grateful for similar humans.
@@mistletoe4961 i soo agree with both of you. I have worked with people like her during my career and it made going to work and working enjoyable. I bet we three @AmeliaS would enjoy working together. 😊
@@threetreasures7698 you know, someone could almost write a book about having co-workers like her, and how the work environment improves for everyone.
Very impressive witness!!
@sheznolady I hope your comment gets removed. You are rude and lack any form of class or compassion. Your name fits you well.
Itx great that there are so many positive comments about this lady. This is a hard time tor her and if you missed it her husband passed away while she was employed at the firm. I hope she has a good rest of her life.
I agree. She is a strong woman. I think Alex underestimated the power these women would have in his testimony. He brushes them all off, is very arrogant and condescending the way he talks to them. Especially Shelly. Throwing that in about the wedding especially after telling her to say he’s been there 40 minutes, was pretty sorry. He assumed she could be bought, like many other people he had treated that way, and he thought she would be no different. But Mrs Shelly did the right thing and this lady did as well! He’s going away for life for these financial crimes regardless of how this trial plays out. His run is over!
The scary thing is , what if ms Shelly didn’t take the bribe? Would her employment be terminated??? I would have take his offers as a threat for my family’s financial security…just a huge POS 💩
I missed it, but I'll watch it again to catch it.
I missed it as well, and thanks to OP for mentioning it, as I wondered what had happened.
What? I did not hear them say that her husband passed!
Watching this person keep herself together is impressive and heartwrenching.
I come back often to watch this particular witness because she is extremely articulate about her job and honest. I've watched this interview at least 6 times that I can recall. And I'm gonna watch this again and again for a while. She's gold!
very sweet witness, big heart taking care of parents and supporting husband for his degree. 9 years is a good amount of time to know the personalities in the office. Her respect for Alec came across, but her knowing what is right and wrong was her intuition that something didnt make sence.
When did her suspicions start - I bet before she disclosed. You don’t work that closely with someone for that long and have no idea that some things are just not being handled properly. Where does loyalty to one individual versus the firm get tangled?
Agreed! A perfect witness for the prosecution!
@@SJC49 A great question. Its a blurry line from the first seed of suspicion to outright realization. And then she had to grapple with how to handle it.
@@SJC49 yea....I was thinking about that also. Thank you 🌹
@@SJC49 his ways of hurriedness and chaos - last minute- paired with the stress, busy-ness and craziness of a busy law firm and it can take a long time before you’re able to figure things out. When you’re in deep it can be hard to see the forest through the trees and be certain of reality. We work under attorneys and ultimately do what they say- but support staff often tend to be the brains and backbone of a law firm and know more about the inner workings than the partners/attorneys. Most people would be so surprised I think. Also, the job can be very routine depending on the kind of law you practice - when something is out of the ordinary, it sticks out. Some firms do everything on the up and up and others blur the lines- all depends. So interesting 🧐
I hope this woman goes on to have a great life and career. She is very impressive.
she's not going to live long that's for sure.
YES 🙌 INDEED, A VERY UPSTANDING, HIGH MORALLED X IMPRESSIVE LADY❤❤❤
And very cocky which is not attractive. She is a paralegal not an attorney. I feel she is over compensating, to make her look more important than she is. I worked at a Law Firm and saw many people just like her.
?!
I hope she learns how to dress appropriately for her body type and especially for court. Egads.
Annette is a rockstar! Loved how she said she liked to see the settlement through to the end ❤. Badass testimony and she totally did the right thing!
I absolutely LOVE & RESPECT Annette Griswold 500%. She is highly intelligent, confident, consistent, trustworthy, and precise. I applaud her on every single level. God bless her. You are so needed in every aspect of life. 🙏🏽❤️
This paralegal Annette Griswold has grown on me, and I have immense respect for her professional life and her articulate testimony against her evil boss.
I feel that ❤
Grown on you? Did you hate her at forst or something?
@@reenakemp9132 No. I didn’t know her, therefore I did not know what she was going to testify...
/Shaking my head 🤣
@@reenakemp9132
good grief.. you looking for a place to put that chip?
@@BEAUTYnIQ LOL!
I am very impressed by these women who worked for this law firm. They are extremely organized and detail oriented and they remember dates, times, numbers, people etc. Bad for Alec but very good for any business who hires them.
Hello Sharon
how are you doing today?
And likely underpaid.
Definitely an inspiration
All except for the COO/CFO. How could his financial misdeeds have gone on so long without some serious questioning on her part? Maybe they were all a little to concerned with the ‘family’ aspect of the firm instead of paying attention to policy. Certainly won’t be hiring them in the future.
@@SJC49 that’s what o was wondering to!!! I mean come on
What a lovely lady - her juggling all her responsibilities (mum etc) and being so professional - bless her I hope life treats her well going forward x
And had recently lost her husband. May God bless her going forward
I hope you got a giant bonus for uncovering what you did. You not only helped all of the clients, you gave the firm back the respectl and integrity amongst each other and the public God bless you and your family good job.
This lady is one smart cookie! She should go to law school. She comes across as extremely competent. She’s a real asset to that law firm I’m sure. She knows her stuff with amazing recall. I’m so impressed!
Hello Linda
how are you doing today?
Paralegals who go to law school, often do very well. My daughter's law school study partner, was a para legal for 8 years. She and my daughter both graduated in top 10% of a good law school. Each got over 5 job offers.
@@maxsmith695 excellent! I know law school is very tough and to have job offers in hand is outstanding. Congrats!
@@lindataylor4461 1 of the 5 was Big Law. She turned it down. Now pursuing a LLM, after few years of work. She was very nervous taking the LSAT, but did well on it. Here is a quote I promise is 100% true. When she arrived home day 1 from law school she boldly said, " I am so looking forward to this adventure, it is going to be really exciting ". In her 3L year, she did her class schedule, and was a TA, had her 3rd Federal externship, ( Circuit COA) was a law review editor, did mock trial and moot court. Her academic advisor told her do 2 of those 5 add ons. She did all 5 and played on the law school softball team. And she still enjoyed law school.
@@maxsmith695 everybody hates a lawyer
I've been watching this trial daily. I've noticed that most of the people questioned, have been so kindhearted and very sincere people. He seemed to take advantage of this kindness. This lovely single mom, could have lost her job because of his lies, thievery and deception. So glad the firm continued to employ her. Obviously she did nothing wrong here.
I agree. Watching all these people that loved him take the stand. It was painful watching his best friend Chris. He had a hard time but was honest as could be while crying his eyes out. See, Alex doesn't feel emotions so he can't comprehend how others can or how he hurts them. Very sad.
No he didn’t. He was the one scammed
Is his name “Alec” or “Alex”??
@@davisholman8149His name is Alex, but they pronounced it as Alec. I think it's just their own accent. 🤔🎭🎭
@@HarleyQwynn2016 It's a Scottish thing. We tend to pronounce "Alex" as "Alec" or at least used to because thanks to the internet etc, pronunciation and culture has become more standardized.
An example is Alex Ferguson, the famous Manchester United manager from Glasgow. Scottish people always called him "Alec".
Growing up, I heard a few men being called "Alec" and none called "Alex" (with the "x" pronounced).
I only began hearing the "x" being pronounced by English people and other English speakers later.
I had a roommate that was a lawyer. He was so sociopathic that I left. Years later I was called to testify against him. He lost his law license and was accused of strangling his girlfriend.
So creepy to think of being so near to someone who could do something like that. That must have been very upsetting.
That poor woman...
This guy was not a pill popping addict like he claimed. The amount of pills at the most extorted amounts still wouldnt account for a 1 hundreadth of the funds claimed he spent on pills. And his memory is way to sharp and clear to recall the way he claims. Eating pills especaily larger dises will take 20 years and turn them into a giant blur. This drug addiction was just some excuse to pass blame and hide the fact that he still has millions stashed somewhere.
I have always wondered how he wouldn’t OD with all of these pills!
I call BS on his claim he spent 50k a week on pills. I was addicted to opiates for over 25 yrs. I typically took about 20 pills per day. Give or take, sometimes more. I functioned just fine. Never missed a day of work. It DID COST ME ROUGHLY 300 to 500 a week give or take over the yrs. Sometimes I would get breaks and get them free or lot cheaper. I NEVER paid more than 500 in a week and that was actually very rare. So to say he was spending 50k a week is bs. That amount of pills would KILL YOU. I even had some close calls using 20 pills a day. Thank God those days are over!
agree 100%!!!
As a recovery opiate addict, I completely agree!!!
Oh yeah.
Looks like Alex underestimated the women in his office 😂
She is smarter than him for sure
Great comment. Capable women everywhere. They get things done and done right.
He's a clown...
Hello Marie
how are you doing today?
She’s a great witness , extremely credible and well spoken.
What an outstanding employee she has been!! Her character shines through even though this must be a stressful time for her. I bet some very rewarding job offers are going to be coming her way. Integrity and intelligence are so important in and out of the workplace.
Ms. Annette Griswold was a stellar witness; intelligent, articulate, calm yet very much on-the-ball. Very impressive testimony.
Ms. Griswold is a kind, credible & intelligent witness. ♥️🌻♥️
This witness is very well spoken and very knowledgeable of everything 😊
Hello Carol
how are you doing today?
Scammer looking for potential victim.
The defense lawyers are pathetic!
So obvious that this witness had a mother who taught her how to do. Sincere, generous, considerate, competent, straightforward, professional and fair.
I love this witness 💕 She's smart, articulate, ethical and obviously an asset to any law firm. I love how she likes to follow the case to the very end to getting their clients the money they deserve that would be very rewarding 😊
Mrs Griswald is going to have a flood of job offers after her testimony here. Law firms will be fighting to hire her. She was incredible.
Yes I totally agree! 👏
I would hire her in a heartbeat! I bet I’d pay her more than Alex Murdaugh ever paid her too! If I could contact her, I’d be thrilled, even if just to congratulate her for being a true hero to the legal profession!! Unlike Mr. Murdaugh!
Disagree because people don’t want honest people they want people that will be quiet and not speak up
Very impressed with this knowledgeable lady!
Yes I hope she get tons of job offers. She deserves it!
Notice how the attorneys all stand when the jury is excused, and then everyone in the galley stands. That is courtroom decorum to stand when the judge and/ or jury enters the courtroom. But Alex Murdaugh and his attorneys all remain seated when everyone else was standing. Not great to not show respect to the jury.
He doesn’t respect anyone. He still thinks he is “special” and “entitled”. It’s disgusting.
@@marvincaldwel111 - Eww! Stop being a creep, hitting on randem women in the comment section. This isn't Tinder.
I think they know this is all formality, it can't go anywhere but down from here, courtesy or not, they have nothing else to loose
@@sandrastanford3914 They have been in their own insular bubble with no one holding them to account for so long that they have no idea, at all, that absolutely have no idea that it can actually happen.
Good eye, i missed that
If I was his remaining son, I would move far away, legally change my name and make sure he could never find me and no one would know this was my family.
I work in Big Law and the amount of abuse that paralegals and legal assistants deal with from Partners and Lawyers, is astonishing. Constant abuse, but they take care of them with perks and a s*** load of cash... I believe everything she said.
A difference between a rigid lawyer like a drill sargent that is not a drunken alcoholic & drug addict like this Alex was & on top of that a thief & a liar!!
Yes, it was referred to as “combat pay”!
Big Law as opposed to little law😂
I'd hire her in a New York minute. What a gem!
Hello Wendy
how are you doing today?
Oh I guarantee she’s going to have a flood of job offers after her testimony. Law offices will be fighting for her services. She was awesome.
One of the best witnesses I have seen. Tells the truth, admits his strengths, and yet admits his failures. Very fair and objective. I hope she is doing well. Very sad about her husband.
One of the biggest witnesses I’ve seen 😊
@@jonathanperry6302 Way to be respectful.
@@jonathanperry6302 🙄
She is the one that started the case. Jeanie Seckinger wasnt doing her job properly or she would have caught it long ago. There is no way she could have closed the files out correctly and balanced the books. Annette seems more astute than Seckinger.
Damn she's lucky she didn't become Alex's sixth murder, because she figured this out .
I can tell she is a perfectionist. She needed to solve the mystery about the checks. No unanswered questions for her. She would have always wondered about the checks if Elek didn't get caught.
Your mom is a perfectionist
I agree that perfectionist vibe is strong .
Great trait for a paralegal
😂"Elek" that's exactly how they pronounce it.
She is more articulate than the 2 attorneys who were asking her questions. She is an impressive witness.
Its stuck me how all these attorney seem to mumble and trip over their own two feet trying to get out a sentence!
@@deborahdean8867 People tend to vastly overestimate the intelligence of attorneys. They're far from being mathematical physicists😂
@@barneyronnie apparently so! And what they charge! All professions involving public trust and integrity have decayed. Evil always decays. This is the reason old people have to die, or its better they do because one day everybody alive and running things or going along with things will be dead. Brand new people will have a chance to think of a new way to live without being evil. Human nature aside. Aggression is not the same as evil though.
Just so you all get a grip….her weight has nothing to do with her intelligence. Can’t believe that it was even brought up.
I can’t imagine sitting there as a defendant hearing a witness testify to your theft of millions of dollars and be unbothered, chewing on your gum. Completely devoid of a conscience… seems redundant I know, given why he’s on trial to begin with but man, I’d be blood red from embarrassment.
What is he supposed to do while she is testifying? He’s on trial in the court room. He’s unable to do anything except sit there.
Ms. Griswold is a remarkable witness. This Lady is totally on the ball with her work; she's so efficient that any anomaly to the process stands out in her mind. Mad respect.
Yep..I bet a lot of ethical Lawyers would want to hire her…she’s a steel trap!!
Bless her heart. As in many companies the Admin staff who make 1/8th what these guys make know more, do more, and care more than the millionaires at the top. She gave her all for that “Firm” and I hope she is appreciated and cared for as time goes on.
If rumor is true, the housekeeper who "fell down the stairs" was homeless at some point during her employment with Maggie & Alex. They did nothing to help her. Then, of course, Alex stole all of the kids money.
We need to demand better wages. We need to take back our human right to strike for better pay.
@@call.me.archie I was willing to believe this was an accident at first but after I saw how he treated her sons I'm starting to suspect he may have had something to do with her death. It was too easy, people just trusted him. He got $4M from the insurance company and it was like taking candy from a baby.
Hello Linda
how are you doing today?
It’s not even 1/8th the salary.
I need such a woman in my life.... intelligent, composed and respectful.
It’s amazing on one hand how incredible, honest, and loyal the people they had working for them, up against the biblical proportions of evil and disfunction of this man who destroyed so many lives.
Wow, this young lady has it together. She treated both sides with the same respect, had great recall and came across as a person of real integrity. Congrats to Annette!
Why is she being insulted for being honest for being righteous her size has nothing to do with her heart and integrity!
@@Skipbo000 this is like the 4th comment I've read from you, you are so pathetic
@@Skipbo000 You're an insufferable bully who probably got their behind kicked on the playground everyday.
Nobody insulted her in the comments but YOU
Such a screwy complaint, who has insulted her for being honest or for being righteous? No one, you just made it up so you could then complain about something that never happened!
So articulate. I am so glad she could be a witness.
I imagine this lady has had many job offers from high integrity honest entities since this testimony. My goodness who wouldn't want her working for their company? She is a firecracker and she owns her job completely and that's a good thing. Only those that hide their funding wouldn't want an employee like this. I hope they paid her great.
She seems a very credible witness. Little to no hesitation.
Sounds tooooo consistent to me or more like a rehearsal she is ready to be over with!!
@@self_made-self_paid2143 - She did mention more than once she likes to be prepared. I bet she felt the same way about her testimony.
Yes of course she was probably drilled by her attorney how to answer. She’s also naturally genuine. The only out of character reaction was after she saw the check. It’s clear Alec financially screwed his friends however I do believe he loved his family and placed them first. I think he was definitely blackmailed or being threatened by someone. Could be drug related 🤷♂️
Hello Nikki
how are you doing today?
Self_Made-Self_Paid
She’s consistent bc she’s telling the truth. It makes it very easy when one is telling the truth.
You don't mess with paralegals or your secretaries they are the backbone of your business and or companies. They know everything that goes on in the workplace.
Annette is a terrific witness, her sincerity really shines through. She’s another hurt victim of AM 😢
The women in this case are going to take Alec down, and I’m here for it! 💪🏼😎
Oh yeah baby
My thoughts exactly. At least when it comes to the financial crimes, it was the women, the CFO and the paralegal, who due to pride in their work and gutsiness, spotted the irregularities (admittedly after too long) and blew the whistle. Not sure the male lawyers would have been as diligent or as brave before things really collapsed.
This is what truthful testimony looks like. Plain and simple.
I like that she is level-headed and down -to-earth. Rare qualities these days.
Retired from a long paralegal career here - I suspect she and others knew these were more than mistakes long before the proof came out. That Chris Wilson fellow, who appears so honest and sweet and "look what he did to me!" in his testimony, sounds like another real charmer. You did it to yourself, Mr. Wilson, and it cost you at least 192k. And they said I'd be bored when I retired...not! The stress of a paralegal can be off the charts.
Finally someone had to say it, My thoughts exactly as I'm hearing her give her testimony. Such an intelligent lady that obviously does not lack common sense & who probably knows his job better then him, I highly doubt she had no clue or was as confused as she claims. I feel like she turned the blind eye as much as she could or as she was told for the sake of her loyalty towards him, possibly her safety and her job but no way in hell that happened more then once & she didnt know exactly what he was up too.
This looked like an effortless testimony. Partly because of the skill of the attorney and partly because of this clear headed, intelligent, knowledgible witness. Well done to both.
She related what was happening at work to her personal life so that the jury understood why she remembered things on a certain day. But I also think she has a great memory and may have made notes about those things that didn't make sense. Suspicious even back then.
A reliable, honest employee is always an asset and worth gold to a company. Well done lady!! Respect. 🌹
She’s the perfect employee. So competent and detail oriented
As a retired paralegal, this woman is phenomenal. Articulate, straight forward, and without hesitation. KUDOS. Oh wow, she caught his butt. You so rock lady.
Paralegals deserve more recognition & better wages, this lady is professional, customer oriented, & impressive!
"Customer"? It's *"client-oriented"* in the legal profession.
i really like this lady! Her whole description & paper trail of what was happening is practically perfect! ❤ Her ability to communicate should shame anyone that puts down the grammar or accent with which she speaks.
who's doing that, besides u ?
I haven't read one comment like that ! She is very sharp and he knew that !!
@@skibee420 I think most people understand that a southern accent doesn’t have anything to do with how intelligent and articulate you can be, just as with any accent anywhere. I was shocked to read that comment because I haven’t seen any comments regarding her southern accent either. It’s just strange that anyone would think that way. She’s just amazing and her testimony has been tremendous, she’s an amazing asset with a sweet, kind heart.
I haven’t read anything about the accent of these folks. I personally find that “southern drawl” endearing……it definitely doesn’t diminish one’s intellect.
She is admirable. She deserves praise for how careful she tried to be.
She's what my father was talking about when he told me that if I wanted to be truly beautiful, I'd have to do it from the inside out.
You know you are in trouble when your paralegal is laying it all out
Something tells me it wasn’t an addiction problem. Not even gambling or extortion or blackmail. I think Alex was just slowly stashing money in some offshore banks. He’s been doing it for years, slowly and methodically. What screwed everything up was the boat crash and the fact that his finances were soon to be checked and exposed. That’s my theory. I think the stolen money is out there somewhere.
he started the stealing when he got hit with a major lawsuit for the boat crash. And it was like a Ponzi that he created to keep under the radar...robbing Peter to Pay Paul. Paying settlements slowly and incrementally instead of giving the checks to the clients as was customary. He created a dummy account called Forge so he could funnel the money to himself. He also had some real estate investments go bad during the '08 recession AND he also had a certain lifestyle and image of wealth to keep up. It all eventually snowballed.
And the house of cards began to fall, fall, fall... At least, that's my theory drawn from what I've seen so far.
I agree
You bet it IS. That money is never going to be found except one day by Buster.
Alex is a pathological liar.
You should watch FITS news.
@@USAcit He’s gonna tell Buster how to get it later. By now Buster is well versed in the thinking of privledged white guys with connections
My Mama was a paralegal for many years and in her mid 40s got her master’s degree as a mental health counselor. Honorable all the way around
She’s lucky she’s still alive. Thank God.
I feel so sorry for this lady and the rest of the people involved in this mess.. May God bless them for their courage.
You're mom uses both hands like she's trying to say grace, when she says Amen I bless her face