In 1986, a five-judge panel of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court disbarred Cohn for unethical and unprofessional conduct, including misappropriation of clients' funds, lying on a bar application, and falsifying a change to a will. The last charge arose from an incident in 1975, when Cohn entered the hospital room of the dying and unconscious Lewis Rosenstiel, forced a pen into his hand, and lifted it to a document appointing himself and Cathy Frank, Rosenstiel's granddaughter, executors. The resulting marks were determined in court to be indecipherable and in no way a valid signature.[5] Despite the disbarment, many famous people showed up as character witnesses, including Barbara Walters, Firing Line host William F. Buckley Jr., and Donald Trump.[72]
In 1984, Cohn was diagnosed with AIDS and attempted to keep his condition secret while receiving experimental drug treatment.[73] He participated in clinical trials of AZT, a drug initially synthesized to treat cancer but later developed as the first anti-HIV agent for AIDS patients. He insisted until his dying day that he was ill with liver cancer.[74] He died on August 2, 1986, at a hospital at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, due to complications from AIDS. He was 59.[6] After his death, the IRS seized almost everything he had including his house, cars, bank accounts, and other personal property and assets.[75] According to Roger Stone, Cohn's "absolute goal was to die completely broke and owing millions to the IRS. He succeeded in that."[76] One of the things that the IRS did not seize was a pair of counterfeit Bulgari diamond cuff links given to him by his client and friend Donald Trump.[77]
Cohn is buried in Union Field Cemetery in Queens, New York. His tombstone describes him as a lawyer and a patriot.[1][78] His AIDS Memorial Quilt panel is white with the words "Roy Cohn. Bully. Coward. Victim" written on it, with "Roy Cohn" in black letters, "victim" in blue, "bully" in red and "coward" in yellow.[79]
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