Roy Black, the renowned criminal defence lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein in securing his controversial 2008 plea deal, has died at the age of 80. His family confirmed that he passed away at his home in Coral Gables, Florida, on Monday after a battle with illness.
Black's wife, Lea Black, announced the news on Instagram on Tuesday, thanking well-wishers and stating that details for a tribute and celebration would be released in the coming weeks. Lea Black is known for her role on the reality television series The Real Housewives of Miami.
Black rose to national prominence in 1991 when he secured an acquittal for William Kennedy Smith, the nephew of former US President John F. Kennedy, in a high-profile rape trial. The proceedings were broadcast live on national television and marked a watershed moment for criminal defence.
He later played a central role in the legal defence of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was investigated in 2006 for multiple sex crimes involving underage girls. In 2007, Black helped negotiate a non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors, finalised in 2008, under which Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and received a 13-month jail sentence.
Over his career, Black represented a string of high-profile clients, including pop star Justin Bieber and race car driver Helio Castroneves. He was a frequent guest on television programmes such as the Today Show and Larry King Live.
Colleagues praised Black's exceptional legal skill. Howard Srebnick, his partner of three decades at Black Srebnick, told the Miami Herald that Black was "the greatest criminal lawyer of our generation, perhaps in American history". Another colleague, David O. Markus, described him as the "GOAT" (greatest of all time) among Miami's criminal attorneys.
