Judge Denies New Trial for Killers of Gambling Figure
A judge has denied convicted killers Sandra Murphy and Rick Tabish a new trial.
Judge Joseph Bonaventure said Friday that he could find no evidence that supported defense claims of misconduct by jurors and prosecutors.
“A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, not a perfect one,” he said.
After a seven-week trial in May, jurors convicted the lovers of killing gambling figure Ted Binion and stealing a fortune in silver from him in September 1998. The jury recommended that the two spend life in prison with a possibility of parole after 20 years.
The judge’s ruling came three weeks after an evidentiary hearing in which defense attorneys, citing several procedural issues, made their bid for a new trial.
Murphy, 28, and Tabish, 35, are scheduled to be sentenced Friday.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
