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What an absolute tragedy. Paul Donnelly, a really good guy and great lawyer, died this morning. He was in federal court waiting to be called for a sentencing hearing before Judge Becerra. The marshals and co-counsel did all they could until rescue arrived. He died pursuing justice.
Really awful.
23 comments:
Paul was one of the first APD's assigned to my courtroom at REG. He represented his clients zealously and fairly, was a great trial attorney, and was always a gentleman. What a tragic loss.
Paul was so kind and funny. Great understanding of what mattered or didn’t. When I was starting in federal court, he was so welcoming and decent and always available to help. So sorry to learn this. I always looked forward to seeing him at a bar or at the CJA conference or in court.
Just terrible news! Donnelly was really smart, an excellent trial lawyer, funny as hell and was always willing to take younger lawyers under his wing. I did my first federal trial with him in Ungaro. He was CJA and got the Judge to agree to let me second chair for the trial experience. He loved our work, he loved to talk basketball and he loved to talk all things Boston!!! Rest in Peace to the big guy from Fall River.
Was Paul a FPD or in private practice?
Tragic news. He will be missed.
Paul was one of the nicest and funniest attorneys I ever had the pleasure to work with and call my friend. Just like Chris, Paul brought me on as second chair on my first federal trial. Paul was CJA and I was brand new to private practice. The trial was in front of Judge Scola and Paul made all of us laugh at every sidebars, including Judge Scola. I will miss him very much. Godspeed Pauly D.
This is devastating news. My heart goes out to his family. I shared office space for a few years at The White Building with Paul, Jay White, Mike Haber and others a while back and just loved joking around with them, but especially Paul. We represented some of those Israeli movers back in the day when the DOJ was prosecuting a slew of movers! Oh, how we laughed! He was hilarious, smart as a whip, strong like a bull, and loved his Boston Celtics and Red Sox. Too young to be gone just like that. RIP Paul Donnelly.
He was a state PD for 10 years and then in private practice for 20+
This is such sad news. Paul was a fighter as a defense lawyer and so full of life and laughter. He had a real sense of humor. He left this world far too young. I hope and pray his family finds comfort during this most difficult time. Rest in Peace Paul.
I only met Paul 7 months ago wherein he was co-d counsel on a criminal case. Instantly fell in love with him for his brillance. I’m just a paralegal. I was sickened to see the text. I am completely devastated and I pray for his family and all his friends and colleagues to give them his spirit to continue to fight his fight. 🥲🥲
Paul was a unicorn. A rare gem. He struck the right balance between a zealous advocate in court and a kind and pleasant person outside of it. Even though I had not seen him in years, he was one of those people who you don’t forget. Whose name rolls off your tongue whenever you think of the consummate professional. Taken too soon. May he rest peacefully and his may his family find comfort in his memory.
He was an amazing attorney and a great person to work with. We just had a multi codefendant case together a few months back. Paul always joked and made work so much more fun. What a tragic loss. My prayers go out to his family!
I first came to know and respect Paul Donnelly when he served as a public defender in state court over 20 years ago, often appearing in my courtroom. In his early years, he was always respectful and a fine advocate for his clients. I continued to observe and experience his professionalism representing clients in federal court. He was always courteous, dedicated, and well prepared. A true gentleman. He and his family are in my prayers.
I had one of my first cases against Paul as a federal prosecutor: US v Dot Love. Shortly before sentencing, he asked me if I would agree to a continuance. He told me he was worried she wasn’t gonna make it. I had some doubts since she was relatively young, but I took him at his word and agreed to the continuance before a skeptical judge. Ms Love passed shortly thereafter. Afterwards, I was grateful that I took the flyer on Paul and Ms. Love hadn’t spent her last days in jail.
We had several cases together afterwards. I appreciated his candor and his strong advocacy for his client. But mostly, I appreciated that he took this serious job with almost extreme levity and that I left every conversation with him feeling a little bit happier than before. He will be missed.
Such a great guy. We were in the same division in State Court. I was the court reporter. We would laugh that he was a young guy at my courthouse baby shower and my "baby" is now an ASA in the same old courthouse.
GREAT GUY.
Although I hadn't seen Paul for some time I always remember him as the nicest guy in the room. I attended Hobart College with him in Geneva NY (go Statesmen) and I remember when I moved to Miami to attend UM Law in 1991 he was so welcoming and always willing to provide advice and help. We shared our New England boy values and I knew he was an amazing lawyer and friend to many. RIP Paul.
I did not know Paul Donnelly, but am so moved by the comments of judges and lawyers in tribute to him, a man and lawyer whose memory will be such a blessing. Proud to know that a boy from Fall River [Massachusetts] was a star in Miami courtrooms!
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PAULIE BOY!
It’s how we greeted each other, always.
It’s what we said to the other, when the other stood up to deliver an opening or closing argument, or eviscerate a prosecution criminal witness on cross exam, during our years as trial partners.
Or when we left silly voice mails for each other (before cell phones.) Or “beeped” each other to random numbers back when we all carried beepers. Or to mock each other and remind each other that we weren’t supposed to get this far, weren’t supposed to be successful. We weren’t even supposed to be alive, we always said.
Or we’d leave a message just to get a laugh. Oh, did we laugh. It was a competition between us…who could make the other laugh harder. If you laughed so hard your rum and coke came out of your nose, you owed $5.00.
It’s also how we opened our talks about how to be men, husbands, fathers, businessmen, trial lawyers, and survivors from the shit we endured and wanted no one to know. And when we called because we had hit rock bottom. Then it was “paulie boy.” It was almost a whisper.
He always took my call, in those moments.
As evidenced by the comments from judges and lawyers, people who knew him well or didn’t know him much, Paul was a special soul. And we all know he had a sense of humor.
The humor was a result of enduring.
Paul would kill me for sharing this, but he can’t. He beat me to it again.
He lost his dad when he was young, and it defined his character. His work ethic. His resilience. His anger. His patience. Laughter is what got Paul through. But it was a chip.
That drive manifested itself when he took Fall River to a Massachusetts state basketball championship in high school, something about which Paul was supremely proud. And something about which I would mock the fuck out of him for his tight 1985 shorts in a picture I always carried. He went on to play four years in college.
Paul was the greatest son to Hazel, who was all of four feet six inches tall and had three sons over 6’3. I always reminded Paul that he was the runt of the litter. He’d respond by telling me to speak up because he couldn’t hear me “from way down there.” Hazel went to church every day. She was grateful to get Paul there on Christmas and Easter.
He loved his daughter and his son more than life itself. They gave him the most joy. It’s my hope that they embrace those qualities he passed to them through DNA as well as osmosis by example, because everything they have of him, will make their lives better.
2/2
For over a decade, we were partners in crime. In and out of the courtroom. Back in the Bennett Brummer days (at which time Judge Scola and Judge Altonaga were not even state court judges yet - thank you so much for your kind words, both of you. Paul would be deeply humbled and spoke often of his abiding respect for you both) the PD’s office would assign us to county court judges that needed more, uh, “trial experience ….” And so we would try cases. Every. Single. Day. Five days a week, four weeks a month. I calculate the mean at 4 months, before a county court judge would express contrition to Mr. Brummer and request new PD’s in her court. I’d be remiss to not mention that we tormented Marvin Gilman to no end. But it was always professional. As far as you know.
That was 30 years ago, Paulie Boy. Where has the time gone, my friend?
We travelled the world. I always had a bodyguard, in Paul. I wish I could tell stories here - there are so many hilarious stories and instances of Paul being gracious - but I can’t.
Paul could try a case. He loved The Fight. Sure, he flipped people or pled people. Because it was in his client’s best interest to do so. But Paul was happiest, and in his element, in The Arena. It is why he respected (and then some) the Scolas Altonagas and D. Miller - they respected him and more importantly, the Art of Trial, which was his calling.
Paul didn’t suffer fools, whether another defense lawyer, prosecutor, client, or judge. He was no bullshit. What you saw was what you got. And if you got any piece, any moment, of Paul Joseph Donnelly, consider yourself lucky.
Remember the scene from the movie “The Town?”
In his thick Boston accent, looking down on me literally, and now for fuck sake figuratively, I keep hearing Paulie say to me, again:
“I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is. And you can never ask me about it later. And we’re going to hurt some people.”
Paulie boy - whose car we takin’?
Paulie Boy !!!! You nailed it. I was Pauls roommate from Hobart College. All i can say is thank you for all those wonderful words!!
It is beyond shocking that Paul has passed. I don’t want to believe it is actually true, but it does brings some solace to read the remarkable and loving comments about him and the attorney he was. Paul and I go all the way back to the early ‘70’s living on Hanover Street in Fall River. Paul was such a great friend and like so many of you we laughed so much together sharing our Irish wit and silly jokes. I can still remember listening to Billy Joel in his living room, and having a ball as kids playing in the snow during the Blizzard of ‘78. From there we went on to be teammates on an undefeated basketball team at Durfee which we were both so proud of. When Paul left for UMiami Law School we slowly lost touched, thankfully through the years Paul’s older brother Jimmy kept me abreast on how he was doing and would share with me how proud he was of his younger brother. Paul was a true character and one of kind. They’ll never be another Paul Donnelly. RIP Pauly D. from your boy back in the Riv!
Rest in peace Paul.
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