Epstein Lawyer FOUND DEAD
By Newsweek - 23 July 2025
Epstein Files: True Scandal or Wild Conspiracy Theory? Newsweek Contributors Debate
Roy Black, the prominent defense attorney who helped secure Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal, has died, according to his law partner. Black died on Monday at his home in Coral Gables at the age of 80 after an illness, his law partner Howard Srebnick said.
Roy Black, the prominent defense attorney who helped secure Jeffrey Epstein's 2008 plea deal, has died, according to his law partner. Black died on Monday at his home in Coral Gables at the age of 80 after an illness, his law partner Howard Srebnick said.
"For more than 30 years, Roy was my teacher, mentor and friend," Srebnick told The Associated Press. "The loss(es) I feel personally and professionally are immeasurable."
Black's death marks the end of a career in defense law spanning over five decades.
Why It Matters
Black rose to national prominence after working on major legal cases, including winning acquittal in the 1991 rape trial of William Kennedy Smith, a nephew of the late president, John F. Kennedy.
The trial was a watershed moment in criminal defense as most of it was broadcast live on national television, with a blue dot obscuring the identity of the accuser.
What To Know
Black also played a role in Epstein's legal defense during his 2006 Florida criminal case, involving charges of soliciting prostitution from underage girls.
In 2008, Epstein avoided more severe federal charges by pleading guilty to state charges of procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution. Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He served 13 months.
Two women subsequently filed a lawsuit saying that the deal violated federal law because they were never given an opportunity to object or adequately consulted about the deal.
Roy Black, who was one of Epstein's lawyers, said in court papers that there was no conspiracy to violate victims' rights, and the plea bargain "was no sweetheart deal by any stretch of the imagination," per The Guardian.
In 2015, Black filed motions to block the release of emails and letters that Epstein's lawyers sent to federal prosecutors during plea negotiations. He and Martin Weinberg argued that Epstein would be "irreparably harmed" if they were made public. Epstein later died in a jail cell in New York in 2019.
During his career, Black defended a number of high-profile clients, including pop star Justin Bieber, who faced allegations of drag racing and driving a car under the influence. Bieber later pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of misdemeanor careless driving and resisting arrest.
Black also helped race car driver Helio Castroneves win acquittal in a case alleging tax evasion.
Fellow defense attorney David O. Markus told The Associated Press that in Miami, Black was viewed in legal circles as the GOAT, i.e. the greatest of all time, comparing him to NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.