Attorney: Dershowitz will join defense

Wednesday, May 24, 2000 | 11:25 a.m.

The attorney expected to head up the appeal for convicted killer Rick Tabish said this morning that Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz has agreed to assist the defense.

William Terry, who said he has yet to formally enter the case himself, said Dershowitz told him he will participate in the appellate process for Tabish.

"He will be assisting with the appeal at a minimum with Tabish," Terry told the Sun.

John Momot, who represents Tabish's co-defendant, Sandy Murphy, said this morning that Dershowitz also was expected to help with Murphy's appeal.

Tabish and Murphy were convicted Friday of killing wealthy gambling figure Ted Binion in September 1998 following a lengthy trial in the courtroom of District Judge Joseph Bonaventure.

On Tuesday Momot told the Sun that "materials" from the murder trial were sent to Dershowitz at his office in Boston to persuade him to join the case.

"We're trying to get him involved in the appellant process," Momot said.

A spokesman for Dershowitz at Harvard said the famed law professor does not want to comment on whether he'll participate in the appeal.

Dershowitz, who has been involved in a number of high-profile appeals across the country, was given a retainer by the defense a year ago.

At that time Terry was representing Murphy.

Terry said this morning he's still negotiating a deal to represent Tabish.

"I've set down certain guidelines as to who will and will not be involved in the case," Terry said. "It's not just a question of money. It's a question of control, who's going to be in charge."

Terry said he won't represent Tabish if "too many chiefs" are involved in the defense.

That was an apparent reference to reports of vast internal dissension within the defense camp.

Tabish's current lawyer, Louis Palazzo, is said to be on his way out after this week's penalty hearing for the two convicted killers.

Sources close to the case told the Sun Monday that Tabish was furious with Palazzo over his handling of the trial.

Tabish, the sources said, was upset with Palazzo for "blowing" his closing argument to the jury and not calling a number of witnesses, including Tabish, to the witness stand.

On Tuesday, Tabish's father, Frank Tabish, confronted a Sun reporter in the hallway of the courthouse and accused the reporter of making up quotes about the dissatisfaction over Palazzo's performance.

Tabish, sources told the Sun, also was angry with defense investigator William Cassidy, an aide to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, for running "interference" within the defense.

Both Palazzo and Cassidy, who have defended their work during the trial, said they believed everything was fine between them and Tabish.

Dershowitz, who has written several popular books on defense tactics, has a reputation for taking tough cases on appeal. Among his clients are O.J. Simpson, Mike Tyson, Leona Helmsley and Claus Von Bulow.