Particle.news
Download on the App Store
7 ARTICLES
·
11h ago

Roy Black, Defender in Televised Kennedy Smith Trial, Dies at 80

Funeral arrangements remain unannounced following the loss of a towering figure in criminal defense

Defense attorney Roy Black, center, and Mark Seiden leave Palm Beach County Court, Aug. 2, 1991 during a recess in a pre-trial hearing in William Kennedy Smith's rape case.
Roy Black passed away at 80.
FILE - Attorney Roy Black poses in the law library of his Miami-based firm, Black, Srebnick & Kornspan P.A., Black has developed a reputation as the go-to attorney for the famous and infamous, having successfully represented William Kennedy Smith, alleged cocaine kingpins Aug.o Falcón and Salvador Magluta, and most recently sportscaster Marv Albert in his forcible sodomy case in Virginia, which ended in a plea deal. (Michael Malone/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Roy Black died at his home in Coral Gables, Florida.

Overview

  • Roy Black died Monday at his Coral Gables home after battling an illness, his law partner Howard Srebnick confirmed.
  • He gained national stature by securing William Kennedy Smith’s acquittal in the first rape trial broadcast live on national television in 1991.
  • As co-founder of Black, Srebnick & Kornspan P.A., he represented high-profile clients including Justin Bieber, Helio Castroneves and Rush Limbaugh.
  • Peers credit Black with mentoring generations of attorneys and pioneering courtroom strategies that challenged prosecutors and engaged the media.
  • He is survived by his wife, Lea, whom he met during the Kennedy Smith case, and their children, RJ and Nora.