O.J. Simpson lawyer F. Lee Bailey dies at 87

F. Lee Bailey, best known as OJ Simpson's defense lawyer in the "trial of the century," died at age 87 on Thursday.

He and co-counsel Robert Shapiro led the successful defense in Simpson's sensational double murder trial in 1994.

Simpson, who was acquitted of murder following the trial, posted a tribute to Bailey on Twitter.

"F. Lee Bailey, maybe the best lawyer of our time, of his generation. But a great guy. God bless his family. God bless you Lee, you will be missed by me."

In his career, Bailey brought drama, swagger and cunning to the courtroom.

During his heyday, he told the New York Times, "I can't say no to a case if it has one of three qualities - professional challenge, notoriety or a big fee.”

Bailey became one of the most famous lawyers in the country with victories that included a 1966 appeal for Sam Sheppard, a Cleveland doctor convicted of murdering his wife, as well as an acquittal for a figure in the My Lai massacre of the Vietnam War.

Bailey, who built a reputation for incisive cross-examination, also defended figures like the suspected Boston Strangler Albert DiSalvo, and kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst.

Bailey later fell into legal trouble himself, and was briefly jailed for doing business with a marijuana dealer in Florida.

He was later disbarred there for "multiple counts of egregious misconduct, including offering false testimony."

In June 2016, he filed for bankruptcy due to a $5 million federal tax bill.

Once, Bailey summed up his courtroom approach by telling the Times, “I use the law to frustrate the law. But I didn't set up the ground rules. I'm only a player in the game."