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Roy Black, Pioneering Miami Criminal Defender, Dies at 80

His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes that underscore his five-decade influence on criminal defense.

Roy Black passed away at 80.
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.
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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)

Overview

  • Black died Monday at his Coral Gables home at age 80 after battling an illness, leaving behind his wife, Lea, and two children as funeral arrangements remain pending.
  • Peers hailed him as the "greatest of all time" in criminal defense, praising his relentless work ethic and courtroom prowess.
  • He rose to national prominence by securing William Kennedy Smith’s acquittal in 1991, marking the first rape trial broadcast live on national television.
  • He defended celebrities and public figures, including Justin Bieber and Helio Castroneves, often winning acquittals or favorable plea agreements.
  • He played a key role in negotiating Jeffrey Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement, influencing prosecutorial discretion in sex-crime cases.