Friday's hearing in the continuing saga of the Binion trial focused on suspicians of financial ties to the mob. (Court TV)

By Laura Barandes
Court TV

LAS VEGAS (Court TV) —A judge granted new defense attorneys in the Ted Binion murder case access to financial records from Rick Tabish's former defense team Friday. They want to find out if any of Tabish's legal fees were covered by a deal with the mob.

Sandy Murphy, Binion's live-in girlfriend, and Tabish, her lover, were convicted in May of killing the casino millionaire and stealing his money on Sept. 17, 1998. Jurors recommended a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole in 20 years.

"I thought we'd heard the last of the Binion trial, but today's proceedings showed that it's far from over," said Al Lasso, Judge Joseph Bonaventure's law clerk.

William Terry, the new lawyer for Tabish, filed a motion late Monday to force the previous defense team to divulge financial records related to the case. Louis Palazzo and Robert Murdock, who represented Tabish during Las Vegas' "trial of the century," were ordered to turn over the information to Terry. Murphy and her attorneys were present to waive formally any attorney-client privilege.

Speculation concerning the possible involvement of reputed mobster Joseph Cusumano began as early as last November. The Las Vegas Sun reported that it had information tying Tabish's legal fees to a deal for film or book rights with members of the mob underworld.

If Terry is able to show that such an arrangement existed, he could argue the former defense team had a conflict of interest and violated Tabish's Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial and competent representation, the Sun reported.

Terry is also interested in the role of Bill Cassidy, an aid to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman who took an unpaid leave of absence to "assist" in the defense's case during the trial.

According to the Sun, Tabish's new representation questions whether Cassidy was trying to protect his boss, once Murphy's defense lawyer, from embarrassment at a cost to Tabish's defense.

In addition, the Binion estate's private investigator, Tom Dillard, continues to probe for dirt on the convicted killers — particularly Murphy. Based on his inquiries, lawyers for the estate have successfully subpoenaed financial records to see if any of Murphy's legal bills were paid with inappropriate funds. The implication is that Murphy could have used money she took from Binion to help finance her defense.

Most recently, Binion's estate lawyer, James Brown, has alleged that an additional $10 to $15 million in silver coins is still missing from the late millionaire's collection, the Sun reported. Murphy and Tabish were already convicted of stealing the nearly 46,000 pounds of silver Binion had buried at his desert ranch in Pahrump.

Murphy's most visible benefactor during the trial was an elderly millionaire, William Fuller. He claims to have met Murphy at a restaurant and was so taken with the thin blonde that he agreed to contribute heavily to her legal fees.

The hearing Friday was just the beginning of what promises to be a heated debate on a new trial for Tabish and Murphy. Judge Bonaventure reluctantly postponed the deadline for new trial motions until July 26, and arguments will take place Aug. 11. The convicted killers are now scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8 at the Clark County Courthouse.

Meanwhile, the public keeps watching.