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Eddie Greenspan
Eddie Greenspan
Eddie Greenspan and daughter Juliana
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Greenspan grew up in Niagara Falls, part of
a close-knit Jewish family who struggled against poverty.
Father Joseph dreamed of being a criminal lawyer, but didn't
live long enough to see Eddie and younger son Brian both fulfill
that dream-in spades. Striving to be the next Perry Mason,
young Eddie headed for law school and Toronto, where he met
future wife, Suzy.
Even then, he was consumed by work. “The law is his
mistress,” laughs Suzy, noting that his bedside reading
on their first trip together was the Criminal Code, which
he read aloud to her every night. In later years, family dinners
were held in downtown restaurants so dad could visit with
his two kids, then get right back to the office. Daughter
Juliana recalls at age seven learning from her mother that
the man she was watching on television was her father. She
is now a criminal lawyer herself, in her father’s practice.
Greenspan’s drive is legendary-he loves the law and
he hates to lose. Critics accuse him of “pocketbook
justice”, but others, like famed attorney F. Lee Bailey,
point to his tireless pro bono crusade against capital punishment.
Adept at courting the press and grabbing headlines, some have
labeled Greenspan a publicity-seeking showboat. The brilliant
cross-examiner with the deadly mouth knows how to stir up
controversy. Viewers may not agree with his opinions, verdicts
and theatrics, but at the end of this hour-long biography,
they will know Eddie Greenspan.
Original Air Date - January 20, 2005
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