Roy Black, a noted criminal defense attorney and husband of Real Housewives of Miami alum Lea Black, has died. Roy died Monday, July 21, at his home in Coral Gables, Florida, after an illness, Lea confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 80.

The Blacks married in 1994, three years after Lea served as a juror in the highly publicized William Kennedy Smith rape trial, which ended in Roy getting the scion acquitted. The ex reality star told the Herald Tuesday that her late husband always “fought for the underdog and people’s civil rights,” regardless of who they were.

The death of Roy Black marks the passing of one of America’s most prominent criminal defense attorneys. Known for representing high-profile clients over a five-decade career, Black passed away on July 21,