Posted on 03/25/2007 8:56:31 AM PDT by abb
Kirk Osborn, a prominent Chapel Hill lawyer who was an early outspoken defender of the Duke University lacrosse players, died this morning of a heart attack, his wife said today. Osborn suffered a massive heart attack on Friday, said Tania Osborn, his wife. He died at 12:47 a.m. today.
Osborn was a respected lawyer who had been in high-profile cases for years. He had participated in a number of death penalty cases and his wife said he was most proud that he had never lost a death penalty case.
He handled an appeal for Kathryn Dawn Wilson, who was charged in the infamous Little Rascals case, in which authorities in Edenton accused owners and operators of a day care of child abuse. Osborn eventually won a new trial for Wilson, who eventually saw the charges against her dismissed, according to Osborn's web site.
Most recently, Osborn was an attorney for Reade Seligmann, 21, who with two other lacrosse players are charged with sexually assaulting an escort service dancer hired to perform for a Duke lacrosse team party in March. Osborn was aggressive early with his defense. He filed a motion seeking to have Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong removed from the case, accusing the prosecutor of going after the lacrosse players to win votes.
Osborn's court filings announced to the world that despite Nifong's assurances that a rape occurred, Seligmann had phone records, receipts, security camera images and a cab driver that would show he was almost a mile away when the woman said he was participating in her rape.
Seligmann's alibi, which Nifong protested proved nothing, helped convince many that the allegations against Seligmann, Dave Evans, 23, and Collin Finnerty, 20, were untrue.
After the State Bar charged Nifong with ethics violations, he asked the state Attorney General to take over the case. Two veteran prosecutors are reviewing the case and will decide whether to press forward.
What a beautiful statement. And what a shame.
Kirk Osborn, attorney in Duke lacrosse case, dies
The Associated Press
March 25, 2007 3:24 pm
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Kirk Osborn, a lead defense attorney in the Duke lacrosse case, died early Sunday, friends and family said.
Osborn suffered a massive heart attack on Friday and died shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, said Joe Cheshire, a fellow defense attorney on the Duke lacrosse case.
Cheshire said the entire defense team was "devastated" by the news.
"North Carolina has lost one of its true warriors," Cheshire said.
Osborn represented Reade Seligmann, one of three Duke lacrosse players charged with sexual offense and kidnapping of a stripper hired to perform at a team party in March 2006. All three have steadfastly maintained their innocence.
Motions filed by Osborn included phone records and security camera images showing Seligmann would have been nearly a mile away from the Durham house at the time the woman said he was taking part in the attack.
He also filed a motion to have Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong removed from the case. Osborn argued that Nifong went after the lacrosse players to win votes.
In January, Nifong asked the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper to take over the investigation, after the state bar charged Nifong with several ethics violations tied to his conduct in the lacrosse case. If convicted of the ethics violations, Nifong could be disbarred.
"We will never forget Kirk and his sacrifices for Reade and for justice," Seligmann's family said in a statement. "Kirk's fight for the truth and for justice in this case met the highest standards of ethics and professionalism and stand in stark contrast to those who condemned Reade. He is an example of what a lawyer should be."
In the high-profile Little Rascals case, in which Edenton authorities accused owners and operators of a day care of abuse, Osborn represented an appeal by Kathryn Dawn Wilson. Osborn won a new trial for Wilson and charges against her were eventually dismissed, according to his Web site.
Osborn's wife, Tania Osborn, told The News & Observer of Raleigh that her husband was most proud that he never lost a death penalty case.
Information on funeral services was not immediately available Sunday.
URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-832868.cfm
He's young from my perspective.
Rest in peace sir.
God rest his soul. A lawyer who fought for justice.
That is a wonderful epitaph. He definitely fought the good fight. What a shame that this good and courageous man went so soon.
Thanks for that info. I tried googling and couldn't find his age.
He was 64...what on earth do you mean???!!!
So true. MA never dropped the charges against Tookie Amirault and the Fells Acres Day Care Center. I think they may be the only daycare center charges that were not dropped.
From my perspective, also. 64 yrs young. Should have had another 25.
May he rest in peace. Prayers for his family.
It would have been different had he been 32 for instance. I would have thought that would be obvious.
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