Mandy Matney contempt ruling: Circuit Judge R. Keith Kelly has ordered Mandy Matney to pay $171,500 in attorneys’ fees and costs and a $5,000 fine after finding her in civil contempt for failing to appear at a deposition tied to the 2019 Mallory Beach boat crash litigation. The judge’s 22-page memorandum concluded Matney deliberately disregarded a valid subpoena and a March 16, 2026 order requiring her deposition within 14 days.
The sanction stems from Matney’s failure to present at the noticed Bluffton deposition site on March 27. Instead of appearing in person at the designated location, Matney remained at a different law office and joined the deposition by Zoom, prompting Parker’s counsel to seek fees and sanctions.
Mandy Matney contempt ruling
Circuit Judge R. Keith Kelly wrote that Matney’s absence was not accidental, noting the court had denied her motion to quash the subpoena and ordered the deposition to proceed. The judge found clear and convincing evidence that her failure to appear was a deliberate refusal to comply.
“Based upon the foregoing, there is clear and convincing evidence that Ms. Matney’s failure to appear was not the result of confusion, mistake, or inability, but rather was a deliberate decision to disregard the subpoena and the Court’s March 16, 2026 Order requiring that she be deposed within 14 days,” Kelly wrote.
What the order says and the penalties
The court awarded $171,500 in attorneys’ fees and costs and imposed a $5,000 fine. Judge Kelly outlined the detailed fee awards to the firms that brought the contempt motion while explaining why he declined to fully grant the more than $310,000 in fees originally requested by Parker’s attorneys.
Firms and awards
- Bannister, Wyatt and Stalvey, LLC — $39,900
- Deborah B. Barbier, LLC — $45,950
- Maynard Nexsen, PC — $85,650
Judge’s reasoning: social media and the deposition site
Kelly emphasized that Matney had notice the court denied her quash motion and that the deposition was ordered to occur within a set window. The judge pointed to evidence that Matney did not travel to the noticed Bluffton location and instead participated remotely from a different office.
The opinion cites Matney’s social media posts after the missed deposition — including photos the court said undercut her claims that safety concerns prevented her travel — as evidence that she intentionally failed to comply with the subpoena.
Matney’s response and disputed claims
Matney criticized the ruling on Facebook, calling South Carolina’s justice system “CORRUPT” and calling the fee award “unprecedented.” She wrote she was “not angry that Judge R Keith Kelly found me in contempt of court. I’m angry that he’s ordering me to pay an unprecedented amount of legal fees ($171,000 + $5,000 in fines).”
The court rejected Matney’s allegations that Parker’s counsel was attempting to harass or endanger her, finding no persuasive evidence to support those claims.
How this fits into the Beach and Murdaugh litigation
The contempt finding arises from civil claims tied to the 2019 Mallory Beach boat crash that killed Mallory Beach. The Beach family’s lawsuit alleges Parker’s convenience stores illegally sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh before the crash; that civil litigation has intersected with broader scrutiny into aspects of Alex Murdaugh’s finances and related legal matters.
Mandy Matney contempt ruling
What comes next
Matney may seek post-judgment relief from the trial court or appeal the contempt finding. An appeal could pause enforcement if a court grants a stay, but that is not automatic; until any appellate relief is granted, the judgment requires Matney to satisfy the fee award and fine.
Key takeaways
- Judge R. Keith Kelly issued a 22-page order finding Matney in civil contempt for willfully failing to appear at a deposition.
- Matney was ordered to pay $171,500 in attorneys’ fees and costs and a $5,000 fine; Parker’s counsel had sought more than $310,000.
- The judge cited Matney’s social media posts and remote Zoom attendance from a different office as evidence of intentional noncompliance.
Source attribution and court document links
Reporting and the order summary are based on a Fox News report. The Fox News story links to the court’s 22-page memorandum and the contempt order; readers can review the order via that report: Judge unloads $176K penalty on Murdaugh podcaster Mandy Matney.
Source: Fox News — Judge unloads $176K penalty on Murdaugh podcaster Mandy Matney
