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Johnnie Cochran

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Johnnie Cochran

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.[1] (October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was a defense attorney best known for his role in the legal defense for O.J. Simpson during his highly publicized murder trial.[2]

Cochran also represented Sean "Diddy" Combs (during his trial on gun and bribery charges), Michael Jackson, actor Todd Bridges,[3] football player Jim Brown and rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg[4] as well as Reginald Oliver Denny, the trucker beaten by a mob during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that followed the verdict of not guilty in the trial of police officers charged with assaulting Rodney King.[2] Cochran was known for his skill in the courtroom and his prominence as an early advocate for alleged police abuse victims.[1]

Life

Cochran completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA and attended Loyola Law School (part of Loyola Marymount University). He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Inspired by Thurgood Marshall and the legal victory he won in Brown v. Board of Education, Johnnie Cochran decided to dedicate his life to practicing law. Cochran felt his career was a calling, a double opportunity to work for what he considered to be right and to challenge what he considered wrong;[5] he could make a difference by practicing law. In A Lawyer's Life, Cochran wrote:

"I read everything that I could find about Thurgood Marshall and confirmed that a single dedicated man could use the law to change society."

Despite setbacks as a lawyer, Cochran vowed not to cease what he was doing, saying "I made this commitment and I must fulfill it."[6]

Cochran took a job in Los Angeles as a deputy city attorney in the criminal division,[7] after he passed the California bar in 1963. Two years later, he entered private practice and soon opened his own firm, Cochran, Atkins & Evans.[2] In his first notable case Cochran represented a widow who sued several police officers who had shot and killed her husband. Though Cochran lost the case for his client, Leonard Deadwyler, it became a turning point in his career.[1] Rather than seeing it as a defeat, Cochran realized that the trial itself had awakened the community. In reference to the loss, Cochran wrote "Those were extremely difficult cases to win in those days. But what Deadwyler confirmed for me was that this issue of police abuse really galvanized the minority community. It taught me that these cases could really get attention" in The American Lawyer. By the late 1970s, he had made his name in the black community, and was litigating a number of high-profile police brutality and criminal cases.[1]

Cochran joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office in 1978 as the first African-American Assistant District Attorney of Los Angeles County. Though he took a pay cut in doing so, joining the government was his way of becoming "one of the good guys, one of the very top rung", and he began to strengthen his ties with the political community, alter his image and work from within to change the system.[8] Five years later, Cochran returned to private practice, reinventing himself as "the best in the West" by opening the Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. law firm. In contrast to the Deadwyler case, Cochran won $760,000 for Ron Settles, a black college football player who, his family claimed, was murdered by the police.[9] He left Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. in 1990 to join Cochran, Mitchell & Lotkin.[10]

Cochran opposed tort reform,[11] and in most of his cases represented plaintiffs in tort actions. He founded The Cochran Firm, a law firm that specializes in personal injury cases and has grown through mergers and partnerships to have offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. As a lawyer, Cochran's presence alone on a case often led adversaries to consider a settlement.[12] A call to Johnnie Cochran at times, according to Jesse Jackson, made "corporations and violators shake."[8]

Johnnie Cochran's well-honed rhetoric[4] and flamboyance[13] in the courtroom has been described as theatrical. His practice as a lawyer earned him wealth he had not seen as a child; he is said to have earned $40 million ($1 million a year) in trying cases. As a result, he drove cars such as a Jaguar and a Rolls-Royce, and wore a large array of expensive suits.[14] He owned homes in Los Angeles, two apartments in West Hollywood, and a condo in Manhattan. In 2001, Cochran's accountant estimated that within five years he would have been worth $25-50 million. When Cochran was still alive, he made at least a million a year.[15] He was, however, well known for his philanthropy.[16]

Clients

Even before O.J. Simpson approached Johnnie Cochran regarding his murder trial, Cochran was considered the "go-to" lawyer for the rich and famous as well as the poor. It was the Simpson trial, nevertheless, that introduced him to people as one to admire, dislike, and/or find absurd.

Cochran often liked to say that he worked "not only for the OJs, but also the No Js". In other words, he enjoyed defending or suing in the name of those who did not have much in terms of fame or lacked in copious wealth.[14] The most glorious moment as a lawyer, in Cochran's opinion, was when he won the freedom of Geronimo Pratt. Cochran considered the release "the happiest day" of his legal practice.[1] When Cochran died in 2005, family and friends proclaimed they "were most proud of the work he did on behalf of those in the community" rather than those with wealth and might.[16] In the words of Harvard Law professor Charles Ogletree, Cochran "was willing to fight for the underdog."[8] Reverend Jesse Jackson believed Cochran was the "people's lawyer."[13] Magic Johnson proclaimed Cochran was known "...for representing O.J. [Simpson] and Michael [Jackson], but he was bigger and better than that." What is probably most flattering in Cochran's opinion must be how he was described as the Thurgood Marshall of his era.[3]

For more on the 1993 Michael Jackson child molestation case, see the child molestation allegations article.

In 1993, Cochran represented Michael Jackson to defend him from allegations of child molestation. No criminal charges were filed by the police, but a civil suit filed against Jackson by the father of the child making the allegations was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

For more on the O.J. Simpson trial, see the O.J. Simpson murder case article.

During closing arguments in the Simpson trial, Cochran uttered the now famous phrase, "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit." He used the phrase as a way to try to persuade the jury that O.J. Simpson could not have murdered his former wife, because the murderer's gloves did not fit him. According to a number of legal analyzers, the phrase was pivotal to the trial. Since Cochran used "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit," it has been widely quoted.[16]

Despite the Simpson victory, Johnnie Cochran was criticized for bringing up the issue of race. Cochran told the mainly black Simpson jury that police officers were trying to frame O.J. Simpson because of his race.[4] Robert Shapiro, co-counsel on the Simpson defense team, accused Cochran of dealing the "race card" "from the bottom of the deck."[7] In response, Cochran replied it was "not a case about race, it is a case about reasonable doubt..." noting "there are a lot of white people who are willing to accept this verdict."[17]

Cochran's representation of a man many believed to be guilty became a cause for hatred towards Cochran.[18]

At Cochran's funeral, O.J. Simpson expressed his belief that, without Cochran, he would not have been home.[16]

For more on Abner Louima, see the Abner Louima article.

Cochran successfully represented Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant who was sodomized with a broomstick while in police custody. Louima was later awarded a $8.75 million settlement, the largest police brutality settlement in New York City. Tension broke out amongst Louima's former lawyers, and the new team that was headed by Cochran. The former team felt that Cochran and his colleagues were trying to take control of the entire trial.[19]

For more on Sean Combs and his trial, see the Sean Combs article.

In 2000, Sean "Diddy" Combs was indicted on stolen weapons charges as well as bribery. Soon thereafter, Combs hired Cochran. Cochran effectively fought for Combs' freedom with Combs winning an acquittal.[20] At Johnnie Cochran's funeral, Combs said Cochran saved his life.[3]

In 2002, Cochran promised Combs was his last criminal case. Since that trial, he retired from criminal cases due to their tiresome nature. Though the trial lasted only five to seven weeks, it became too much for Cochran. After the trial, Cochran declined criminal cases offered by R. Kelly and Allen Iverson.[6]

Cochran was mentioned in several films and television shows, including:

  • Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, in which while the Angels are wondering who would have the power to release a criminal out of prison, Bernie Mac's character quickly replies "Johnnie Cochran".
  • 1997's Jackie Brown, where a character boasted that his lawyer was so good, "he's my own personal Johnnie Cochran."
  • In the song Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous by Good Charlotte he is mentioned in the lyrics "well did you know when your're famous you could kill your wife and there's no such thing as 25 to life as long as you got the cash to pay for Cochran"
  • Rapper Too Short says "get a good lawyer like Johnnie Cochran" in his song "Gettin It" from his 1996 album "Gettin It"
  • In the TV show Angel, it's mentioned that Wolfram and Hart, an evil law firm mostly composed by demons is "the law firm that Johnnie Cochran is too ethical to join"
  • He was also mentioned by Tommy Davidson in the film Woo when a white police officer placed his hand on Davidson's shoulder as he was leaving the police station and Davidson imposed "Hey man - Johnnie Cochran" after which the white police officer removed his hand, after which Davidson concluded with "That's right!"
  • In the TV show Mind of Mencia, the ghost of Johnnie Cochran is seen assisting "Judge Carlos" pass judgement on various "cases". The ghost also used several rhyming phrases in vein of the infamous "acquit" quote.

Cochran himself took these parodies in stride, discussing them in his autobiography, A Lawyer’s Life. Furthermore, he appeared in The Hughleys, Family Matters, The Howard Stern Show, Arli$$, CHiPs '99, Bamboozled, Showtime and JAG.

After the Simpson trial, Cochran himself was a frequent commentator on law-related television shows.[16] In addition to being featured on television shows, he hosted his own show, Johnnie Cochran Tonight, on CourtTV. With the Simpson fame also came movie deals.[21]

Death

Johnnie Cochran died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 from a brain tumor.[22] The news came after a year of failing health. In April 2004, Cochran underwent surgery, which led to him staying away from the media. Shortly thereafter, he told the New York Post he was feeling well, and that he was in good health.[18]

Public viewing of his casket was conducted on April 4 and April 5 and a memorial service was held at Little Union Baptist Church on April 8, 2005 in Shreveport. He was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.[23] The funeral was attended by numerous former clients and friends. Among them were Michael Jackson, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Reverend Al Sharpton, Sean "Diddy" Combs, O.J. Simpson, Stevie Wonder, Magic Johnson, actress Angela Bassett, Gloria Allred, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Abner Louima, and others.[3]

On May 31, 2005, about two months after Cochran's death, the United States Supreme Court delivered its verdict on Tory v. Cochran. It found that Cochran's death no longer required a restriction on Ulysses Tory's defamatory speech regarding Cochran. Lower courts, before Cochran died, held that Tory could not make any public comments about Johnnie Cochran in any way imaginable.[24]

In honor of Cochran, on January 24, 2006, Los Angeles Unified School District officials unanimously approved the renaming of Mount Vernon Middle School, Cochran's boyhood middle school, to Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Middle School, saying he was an "extraordinary, superb lawyer with movie-star celebrity status." There have been mixed reactions about the board of education's decision, primarily because of Cochran's work as a lawyer. For instance, the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson has expressed her disappointment with the decision, although she called Cochran "a great defense attorney."[25] Since the school was renamed, others have voiced their ideas of naming a street after Cochran. City Councilman Herb J. Wesson Jr. wants the city to rename a section of 17th Street, because he feels Cochran was "a great attorney and a great role model who contributed to this community."[26]

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f The middle initial, L, does not stand for anything. Showy, Tenacious Lawyer Rode Simpson Murder Trial to Fame by Adam Bernstein, The Washington Post, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 17, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c Famed attorney Johnnie Cochran dead by DeClamecy, Dree, Wilson, Stan, Philips, Eric, CNN.com, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 20, 2005.
  3. ^ a b c d Famous clients mourn Johnnie Cochran at funeral in L.A. by Linda Deutsch, The Union Tribune, April 6, 2005, retrieved April 18, 2005.
  4. ^ a b c Celebrity Lawyer Johnnie Cochran Dies at 67 by Mike O'Sullivan, Voice of America, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 18, 2005.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Black was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b BIBR talks to Johnnie Cochran - Interview by Robert Flemming, Black Issues Book Review, Nov-Dec 2002, retrieved April 23, 2006.
  7. ^ a b Johnnie Cochran by Jared Grimmer, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, 2000, retrieved April 20, 2006.
  8. ^ a b c Johnnie Cochran, the Attorney On the People's Defense Team by Kevin Merida, The Washington Post, March 31, 2005, retrieved April 22, 2006.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference BIO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Johnnie Cochran - Trial Attorney by Topblacks.com, retrieved April 22, 2006.
  11. ^ Johnnie Cochran tort reform interview by Sky News Network, retrieved May 4, 2006.
  12. ^ Obituary: Johnnie Cochran] by Rupert Cornwell, The (London) Independent, March 31, 2005, retrieved April 17, 2005.
  13. ^ a b Remembering Johnnie Cochran by Greater Boston, WGBH, broadcasted April 1, 2005.
  14. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference London was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Through The Cracks by Jeffrey Meitrodt and Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune, March 27, 2001, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  16. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference AP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Johnnie Cochran speaks his mind by Steve Hammer, NUVO, October 19, 1995, retrieved May 4, 2006.
  18. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FOX was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ The Louima Millions by Peter Noel, The Village Voice, July 18 - 24, 2001, retrieved April 18, 2005.
  20. ^ `Puffy' Combs Indicted On Stolen Weapons Charge; Atty. Johnnie Cochran Joins His Legal Team by Jet, January 31, 2000, retrieved April 23, 2006.
  21. ^ Johnnie Cochran to be MLK speaker by Robert J. Sales, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, January 10, 2001, retrieved May 11, 2006.
  22. ^ superstar Johnnie Cochran dead at 67 by The Associated Press, March 30, 2005, retrieved April 18, 2005.
  23. ^ Memorial service for Cochran set April 8 in Shreveport by Francis McCabe, The Shreveport Times, April 1, 2005, retrieved April 20, 2005.
  24. ^ Cochran ruling only narrow free-speech victory by Tony Mauro, First Amendment Center, June 1, 2005, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  25. ^ Middle school renamed after Johnnie Cochran by Reuters, Jan. 26, 2006, retrieved April 29, 2006.
  26. ^ A School, and Maybe a Street, for Cochran by Cynthia H. Cho, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21, 2006, retrieved April 29, 2006.

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