| Joseph Beltrami | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Beltrami Glasgow, Scotland |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Other names | Jo Beltrami |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Title | Mr |
Joseph Beltrami is a leading Scottish lawyer. Born in Rutherglen, the son of a Swiss father and Scottish mother, Beltrami was brought up in Glasgow and educated at St. Aloysius College and the University of Glasgow. Since then he has appeared in over 500 murder trials, gaining a reputation as one of the most skilled and sharp-witted Scottish criminal defence lawyers of recent times.
He has been involved in several high profile cases, including the campaign for the release of Patrick Meehan.
Over a career of nearly 50 years he has defended such names as Johnny Ramensky, Colin Beattie and gained the first ever Royal Pardon issued in Scotland defending Maurice Swanson
Further to this, Beltrami was famously successful in his routinely defense of the notorious Glasgow crime lord Arthur Thompson, whom he managed to acquit of various criminal charges on many occasions throughout the 1980s - leading to the phrase "get me Beltrami" being coined as a plea for help in desperate circumstances amongst Glaswegians during the time.
Maurice Swanson was convicted of bank robbery, but his convictions were later quashed, and he was issued a royal pardon. He was represented by Joe Beltrami. This legal triumph stands amongst twelve occasions on which Beltrami successfully defended a client against a charge punishable by hanging.
He has 3 sons and a wife.