Jeffrey Epstein’s former attorney Roy Black dies at 80
Roy Black, the prominent defense attorney best known for securing Jeffrey Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal, has died at the age of 80. Black passed away on Monday at his home in Coral Gables after an illness, his law partner Howard Srebnick confirmed.
“For more than 30 years, Roy was my teacher, mentor, and friend,” Srebnick told The Associated Press. “The losses I feel personally and professionally are immeasurable,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media
Black’s legal career spanned over five decades and included a number of high-profile cases. He gained national attention for winning the 1991 acquittal of William Kennedy Smith, nephew of President John F. Kennedy, in a widely televised rape trial that marked a watershed moment in criminal defense.
Black also represented Epstein in his 2006 Florida case, which involved charges of soliciting prostitution from underage girls. Epstein avoided severe federal charges by pleading guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation, resulting in an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served 13 months.
The plea deal was later challenged by two women who filed lawsuits alleging it violated federal law by failing to give victims adequate opportunity to object. Black defended the agreement in court, calling it “no sweetheart deal by any stretch of the imagination,” according to The Guardian.
In 2015, Black moved to block the release of emails and letters exchanged between Epstein’s lawyers and federal prosecutors during plea negotiations, arguing that disclosure would cause “irreparable harm” to Epstein. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019.
Beyond Epstein, Black defended a range of notable clients, including pop star Justin Bieber, who faced charges related to drag racing and driving under the influence, and race car driver Helio Castroneves, who was acquitted in a tax evasion case.
Fellow defense attorney David O. Markus called Black the “GOAT” (greatest of all time) in Miami legal circles, likening him to NBA legend Michael Jordan.
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