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Norm Kent | |
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| Born | Norman Elliot Kent October 18, 1949 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 13, 2023 (aged 73) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Hofstra University |
| Occupations | |
Norman Elliott Kent (October 18, 1949 – April 13, 2023) was an American criminal defense attorney, publisher, and radio talk show host.
The founder and publisher of The Express, in 1999, and South Florida Gay News[1] in 2009. Kent was previously the morning drive talk show host for WFTL-1400 AM from 1989 to 1992, when he left the station by quitting on-air.[2] As an attorney, Kent brought suit against local governments in Florida on behalf of civil rights such as Freedom of Speech many times.[3]
A frequent guest lecturer at colleges and in community forums, Kent published numerous articles advocating for civil rights protections for the LGBT community and the legalization of cannabis in the United States. He authored 'The Pot Warriors Manifesto.'[4] His articles on representing gay men illegally entrapped by law enforcement, along with illegal searches by law enforcement, were picked up by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers' magazine, The Champion.
Kent's clientele consisted of the prominent late radio talk show host, Neil Rogers, and talents Phil Hendrie and Al Rantel. He also assisted in the civil rights defense of activist Dan Choi during his White House protests, along with numerous South Florida celebrities and personalities who had legal encounters and challenges with law enforcement. Al Goldstein and his SCREW magazine also found a formidable defender with Kent as their counsel.
After surviving a bout with lymphoma, he had another stint at the new WFTL-850 AM from 2002-2005 as a daily talk show host, though in the interim periods he hosted Weekend Legal on various local radio stations, including WWNN-1170 AM.
Kent was a life member of the National Academy of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He appeared on Dateline NBC, Court TV, Fox News and Fox and Friends, as well as CNN Live, as a political and legal commentator. In 2014, as the Chair of the Board of Directors of NORML, he was a frequent guest on HLN's Nancy Grace Show, advocating for the legalization of cannabis. As a constitutional rights attorney, he represented juveniles in a class action against detention centers, and sued to enjoin the State of Florida from illegally spraying paraquat on marijuana fields.
A graduate of both Hofstra University in 1971 and the Hofstra School of Law in 1975, Kent relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1976, where he maintained an independent law practice for over 40 years, practicing as the Criminal Defense Law Center of South Florida, alongside his law partner, Russell Lonnie Cormican.
After two years of battling pancreatic cancer, Kent entered hospice care at his longtime home in Fort Lauderdale's Victoria Park in March 2023. He died on April 13, at the age of 73.[5]
- ^ South Florida Gay News
- ^ "Norm Kent Show (February 9, 1993)". Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Plutnicki, Ken: "Upholder of the Unpopular", The Miami Herald, Pg. 1C: March 14, 1989
- ^ "About Norm Kent". The Sun Sentinel. December 11, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ "Longtime gay rights advocate Norm Kent dead at 73". South Florida Sun Sentinel. April 13, 2023.