DETROIT – Prominent Detroit attorney Cliff Woodards died Monday morning after his Lexus collided with a Detroit police squad car.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
News of Woodards’ death left fellow attorneys, judges and politicos in grief and disbelief. He was known for advocating for and mentoring black attorneys.
MORE: Community mourns defense attorney killed in crash involving Detroit police cruiser
“He showed me how to make money and navigate through the criminal justice system,” said 32A District Court Judge Rebekah Coleman. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I’d have learned criminal law the way I did.”
Woodards was also known for his ability to start a conversation. His unfiltered opinions got him into trouble sometime, but most of the time it triggered interesting conversations and debates.
In addition to his legal work, he at one time had a radio hosting job at 910 AM.
“The legal profession just got to experience what we already knew -- There would never be a dull moment with him and there was going to be a debate about something,” said 36th District Court Judge Donald Coleman.
Audio and footage credit: RDS Films -- www.rdsfilms.com