October 25, 2007

CO: RIP Bryan Shaha, "an ultimate class act"

From the Greeley Tribune:

Former head of Greeley public defender's office dies after long fight with cancer

Bryan Shaha fought like a bulldog for his clients. That's how Mike Zwiebel describes his longtime friend: a lawyer who pulled out all the stops to defend those who couldn't afford to defend themselves.

Shaha, 65, died Wednesday after a bout with cancer... After a stint with Colorado Rural Legal Services, Shaha moved to Greeley and the Colorado Public Defender's Office, where he was deputy state public defender before heading the Greeley office. He worked in private practice for five years beginning in 1979, still defending the accused, and later returned to the public defender's office. "There was no ego," Zwiebel said. "It was never for his own glory..."


Update: from the Denver Post, Defense lawyer went to bat for defenseless

The one thing Bryan Shaha couldn't stand was injustice - whether it involved meatpackers or inmates on death row. So Shaha, who died Oct. 24, three days before his 66th birthday, spent almost all his legal career defending those who could count on no other defense...

1 Comment:

Woman in Black said...

He was a great guy from all accounts. What a loss.