World of Criminal Justice on Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., an attorney who repeatedly captured media attention by representing well-known clients, such as singer Michael Jackson, and undertaking highly controversial cases, grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, a town which later established "Johnnie Cochran Day" in his honor. Cochran acted as defense attorney for several infamous clients, such as Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a former leader of the Black Panthers. Unsuccessfully represented by Cochran in a 1972 trial, Pratt was sentenced to imprisonment for murder. Represented by Cochran again in 1997, however, the murder conviction was overturned, and Pratt was released after spending almost twenty-five years behind bars.
Certainly the most highly publicized of Cochran's clients was O.J. Simpson, the former football player turned actor. On June 12, 1994, O.J. Simpson's ex-wife and the mother of his children Justin and Sydney, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were brutally murdered at Nicole's home. As the result of Simpson's not guilty plea, the criminal trial began on January 24, 1995. With others, Cochran was retained in what was later called the "trial of the century." On October 2, 1995, after just four hours of deliberation, the jury, consisting of nine African Americans, two Caucasians, and one Hispanic, reached its verdict. On October 3, 1995, the presiding judge read the verdict, which acquitted O.J. Simpson of all criminal charges. Cochran's courtroom theatrics and controversial tactic of using racial issues in his defense strategies brought him considerable media attention and resulted in his being hired for various television and movie appearances.
In two instances, Cochran received negative attention for personal affairs. In 1998, Cochran filed a $10 million libel suit in federal district court against a columnist for the New York Post. The columnist expressed her opinion in a published issue that Cochran would "say or do just about anything to win, typically at the expense of the truth." Finding that such an opinion was within the columnist's constitutionally protected right to free speech under the First Amendment, the U.S. District Court judge dismissed Cochran's claim. Unwelcome media attention was also directed to the 1998 killing of Cochran's younger brother, Ralonzo Phelectron Cochran. Cochran had to ask for privacy so the family could mourn.
Cochran's career as a criminal defense lawyer resurfaced in the media in the year 2000, when he was hired to represent rap musician Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs on weapons charges pertaining to an incident at a New York City nightclub. Manhattan police arrested Combs on December 27, 1999, when they reportedly found two loaded handguns in his possession. At the same time, Cochran made the news for allegedly declining an offer to represent National Football League player Rae Carruth, who faced charges for murdering his pregnant girlfriend. In addition to his lucrative law practice, Cochran also hosted a weekly talk show on the Black Entertainment Television cable channel and a live talk show called Cochran Tonight on Court TV.
Recent Updates
April 19, 2004: Cochran is recovering from an undisclosed neurological condition. Source: Associated Press, http://customwire.ap.org, April 19, 2004.
March 29, 2005: Cochran died of a brain tumor on March 29, 2005, in Los Angeles, California. He was 67. Source:New York Times, www.nytimes.com, March 30, 2005.
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