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New England Mourns Superstar Lawyer
Boston criminal defense lawyer Richard Egbert was a superstar -- not for his flamboyance but for his skill and tenacity in the courtroom. One prominent Bostonian called him "the Muhammed Ali of attorneys." Egbert died Thursday while on vacation with his family in upstate New York. He is being buried today in funeral services starting at noon. Egbert defended a roster of notorious clients who ranged from organized crime leaders to top politicians and judges. His client list included former Providence, R.I., Mayor Buddy Cianci, former Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran, former R.I. Supreme Court Justice Joseph A. Bevilacqua and mobster Frank "Bobo" Marrapese.
Egbert, who leaves behind a wife, Shannon A. McAuliffe, a public defender in Boston, and three children, once told an interviewer, "I don't care how many guilty go free, as long as the system is working right. The worst bum in the world is entitled to be prosecuted fairly and honestly." Egbert set the mark of a great lawyer, said his friend, Boston criminal defense lawyer Anthony Cardinale. "I think we’ve lost a champion. I don't know that there's anybody who can fill his shoes."
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Posted by Robert J. Ambrogi on July 28, 2008 at 12:56 PM | Permalink
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