For those who hated Johnnie Cochran

[Sandpiper]

I can understand why some people have a visceral reaction Johnnie Cochran. He was front and center in the defense of America's most notorious criminal defendant. I also understand that working in criminal defense isn't going to win you many friends or a lot of pats on the back.


But for those who hated him or had bad feelings towards him, I ask you, what did Johnnie Cochran ever do besides his job?

His job as an attorney was to zealously represent his clients. He did this, and did it better than most attorneys could ever dream of.


If Johnnie Cochran was guilty of anything, it was being too good at what he did. As a trial attorney, he was simply in another league from most of the prosecutors he faced.

[Bluebear]

1. I wish people would remember Geronimo Pratt

instead of just "OJ".

[H2O Man]

11. Most of those

insulting his memory likely could not identify Geronimo Pratt. It takes a special type of ignorance to fuel the stupidity we are witness to this evening.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. Yeah This Place Has Gone Stark Raving Mad...

For the record I thought OJ did it...

I also know Johnny Cochran was just doing his job...

[H2O Man]

35. Of course he did!

In 1998, a racist gang viciously attacked my nephew. In the months that followed, a friend of mine represented one of the two gang leaders. During the time of the trials, we were not friends, because we both had our own business to attend to. In fact, a local television station high-lighted he and I in a heated argument outside the courthouse. I knew that in rural, upstate New York, there was little chance a court would treat 16 white men viciously assaulting a black kid, as they would 16 black men viciously assaulting a white kid. So I "tried" the case in the media.

Neither the attorney or I cared for each other's behavior for those 6 months. We each had a job to do. But once it was done, it was done.

[oasis]

12. Ken Olson was my English teacher. Geronimo was falsely accused of killing

his wife and seriously wounding him at a Culver City tennis court.

I met Johnny for the first time at a book signing 2 or 3 years ago. He had a crowd waiting for him. He shared some interesting experiences with his audience.

Rest in peace, Johnny. O8)

[Bluebear]

17. Amazing!

It's a small internets, isn't it?

Pratt would have been executed long ago had the SCOTUS not stopped the death penalty briefly.

[Chovexani]

2. I agree. (n/t)

[Bluzmann57]

3. Yep he did his job all right

And a guilty man is walking around free. A man who killed two people.

[merh]

5. Not his fault, the prosecution did not do their job.

They have the burden of proving their case. They failed. Don't blame the lawyer who held them to their burden. One day you may want a lawyer who will do the exact same thing for you and with as much talent.

Lawyers are upholding the constitution and are requiring the prosecution meet its burden and respects the constitutional rights of their clients. When they do their job right, they are defending your rights too!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Better to let 100 guilty walk than to punish an innocent person

[Tomee450]

13. The jury said Simpson was

innocent, just as they did Robert Blake. Should Blake's attorney also be hated? It is the job of defense attorneys to defend their clients. They should not be criticized for doing thier job.

[lastliberalintexas]

16. Not guilty according to our justice system

If the court of public opinion ever becomes the final arbiter of guilt or innocence, then god help us all.


And even if OJ was guilty, it is not Cochran's "fault" that he was acquitted. Our system places the burden on the government to meet its burden of proof before it can deny liberty to its residents. I can't imagine living in a place like China, where such a rule of law is ignored and the state incarcerates dissidents and other "undesirables" just because it can.

[CatWoman]

47. get a mother fucking grip

[merh]

4. Agreed!

He was very good at defending his clients and that was his job.
If I had to hire an attorney I know that I would want it to be someone as smart and as talented as Johnnie Cochran. Those who hate the man remind me of Delay and Bush -- "lawyers are bad, until I need them!".

Rest in Peace Mr. Cochran!

[aquart]

7. He was damn good at his job.

And a showboater the way famously successful criminal attorneys often are.

And he was too damn young to die. A brain tumor? Where the hell did that come from???

[lastliberalintexas]

8. Most people don't understand the role of defense attorneys

Most people think that the criminal defense attorney is just out to get her/his client "off", when that's not necessarily the case. The defense atty is there to put the state to the test, to make the state meet its burden of proof in accordance with our Constitutional principles and to act as a zealous advoate fo the client as required of her/him by our adversarial process.

The hatred of Cochran is really just a specific example of the hatred (ie misunderstanding) of criminal defense attorneys. Even on a liberal site such as DU.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. Clinton and his victim's bill of rights really did harm to the liberal

view of the law. Our constitution affords rights to the PEOPLE versus the government. Whether you're OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Leonard Pelletier, Geronimo Pratt, Kobe or Joe F. Schmoe, you are entitled to make the state prove its case against you.

[hfojvt]

22. when they have publicly funded defense attorneys

with equal spending power with the DA, then Joe Schmoe's might have a chance to hire somebody as good as Cochran. Peltier's attorney was apparently not as good as OJ's or Kobe's since he currently lives on the wrong side of the tracks in my town of Leavenworth.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. It's true that states can rig the pd program. Texas does.

But the groundwork for Pratt's appeal was by a pro bono lawyer by the name of Stuart Hanlon. Pratt was not rich, nor are the people being represented by Northwestern U..and Cochran didn't make money off of Geronimo Pratt either. It's just too bad there aren't enough Stu Hanlon's and Johnnie Cochrans to go around.

Cochran did a lot od pro bono work.

[Taverner]

40. Agreed

But then again I did go to law school for a term...and they taught us that first day

[DearAbby]

9. I do not hate Johnnie Cochran, the man was brilliant. Good lawyer

In this country everyone is entitled to a good defense. OJ was able to pay for one of the best.

Nothing against the man here...rest in peace.

[pretzel4gore]

21. more to it....

the simpson murders happened in june of '94, not too long after the LA rodney king riots. According to the fbi, everyday 7 american woman are murdered by their bf/husbands/exes....what was so spectacular about the simpson case?.....it was a dreary domestic murder, the type experienced cops dread more then anything, yet....it became a media event that effectively set the US up for the overthrow of its government, the replacement of fair elections by nudge nudge wink mediawhore sponsored 'selections'...and economic nightmare for entire human race (bushinc is literally blackmailing the planet to support the US dollar/stock market or the world economy collapses.....just like in the the shiavo case, too many watched the timepiece and forgot about the petty crooks who were swinging it....

[jbane]

10. Cochran did what any attorney tries his best to do...

Present his client's case to a jury. He was the best.

[ohio_liberal]

14. I don't hate him

He took on the NASCAR monopoly and scared them so bad that the head honcho retired early.

[coloradodem2005]

18. Awesome!!

:thumbsup:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

15. Besides Pratt, Cochran also represented Abner Louima's family

[China_cat]

19. I think the only ones who hated Cochran

are those who believe that an accusation makes you automatically guilty.

I've heard it too many times..."If he/she wasn't guilty the police wouldn't have arrested him/her".

[Bake]

25. RIP Johnnie

I'd be thrilled to be 1/10th the trial lawyer you were.

Love him or hate him, he did his job and he did it well -- gave the other side HELL!! He didn't always win, but he always made 'em PROVE IT! And that's what he was supposed to do.

He has my respect and admiration as a trial lawyer.

Bake, Esq.

[calzone]

26. I don't admire him

Guess I'm the odd man out here but here's my take. The prosecution was less than competent and over confident. The judge was enjoying his moment and not controlling his courtroom. The defense was enjoying their moment and unabashedly lacking in principles and ethics.
IMO, a defense atty is supposed to be an advocate, obtaining the best possible result for his/her client. If the atty. believes the client is guilty (and I'm convinced OJ's atty's were completely convinced of it, as was the Menendez atty...Abramson?) then the atty should NOT agree to seek a not guilty verdict, the atty should try only to obtain the most lenient sentence under the law by establishing mitigating circumstances. How can you be sworn to uphold and respect the law and attempt to argue the innocence of someone who you're convinced has broken it's most serious forms, such as murder or rape?
I ain't no lawyer, but it doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, and that's my opinion.

[oasis]

27. Too bad the legal system doesn't measure up to your standard of justice.

Thanks for your 2 cents anyway.:hi:

[Sandpiper]

29. Unabashedly lacking principles and ethics?

Because they wouldn't help make the prosecution's case for them?

I think you need a refresher course in civics.

The fact that we have an adversarial legal system, and that every accused person maintains the presumption of innocence seems to be lost on you.

[Walt Starr]

45. Any defense attorney who believes his client is guilty

and does not defend them to the best of their ability violates the oath they take when they become attorneys. They are unethical and will be disbarred for such behavior becaust they have no ethics.

sorry, but you are bass ackwards on what constitutes ethics wthin the legal profession, and the standards for ehtics within the legal profession are higher than any other profession int the world, including medical doctors.

[PA Democrat]

48. Interesting....

Forget the jury of your peers and let the defense attorney himself decide whether the defendant "deserves" a vigorous defense? You've got to be kidding.

[PA Democrat]

51. Defense attorneys do not decide whether or not to plead guilty

It is up to the accused to make that decision with the advice of the attorney. It is not the defense attorney's decision to make.

[fishwax]

56. So you don't agree with the whole "trial by jury" thing

they mention in the constitution? A defendant doesn't have the right to a trial by jury, but only the right to try to persuade his attorney that he's worthy of the presumption of innocence? Christ that's backwards.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

28. Everyone is entitled to the best defense possible.

A lawyer can't just not try because he or she feels their client is guilty. That's not how it works.

[fortyfeetunder]

30. A one trial definition by Murka (and a few DUers)

The visceral reaction I've noticed is Murka and a few DUers are defining the late Mr. Cochran by that one case involving OJ Simpson.

I would recommend to those people who are open minded enough to read Mr. Cochran's autobiography. I did because I figured he had to do just more than that one particular trial to gain international notoriety.

The man had a full and promising career, and he was good at his profession. His discussion of OJ Simpson was overshadowed by his civil rights advocacy, and interest in representing those who could not be guaranteed full and equal justice under the law.

Mr. Cochran was talented and savvy, and his contributions to society are immeasurable. RIP Johnnie.

[calzone]

36. Point's been missed....

sandpiper wrote:
"Because they wouldn't help make the prosecution's case for them?"

No, how do you arrive at that? I didn't say that.

"The fact that we have an adversarial legal system, and that every accused person maintains the presumption of innocence seems to be lost on you."

Thanks. But pls don't make my argument for me. The fact that we have an adversarial legal system has nothing to do with my statements. Also, the principle I advocated is common and practiced in this country and others. And my question was never answered.

semicharmedQ wrote:
"A lawyer can't just not try because he or she feels their client is guilty. That's not how it works."
Again, that wasn't my position.

40ftunder wrote:
"and his contributions to society are immeasurable. RIP Johnnie."

and those contributions must be measured against his partial responsibility for a murderer walking among us, free and forever safe from justice for his crime.

[Walt Starr]

46. WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!

You are asking the attorneys who provide the defense to ACT IN A WHOLLY UNETHICAL AND ILLEGAL MANNER!!!

Again, the ethical standards for the legal profession are higher than any profession in the world. An attorney is required, by law and by oath, to rigorously defend the interests of their clients while disregarding any personal beliefs or bias.

You are asking attorneys to act in an illegal, unethical, and wholly immoral manner.

Your suggestion is unethical and immoral.

[ultraist]

49. I agree Walt. EVERYONE deserves a right to a fair trial

Even the most vicious sociopaths.

How a few here, think that police corruption or sloppy state work justifies convicting someone is beyond me.

Violating civil liberties is ok as long as the court of public opinion thinks the accused is guilty? Abuse of state power is ok, as long we think the accused deserves it?

I thought Dems were pro Constitution?

[calzone]

60. sounds like truncated logic.

All the replies I've seen ignore my point and IMO shuffle around the elephant, even when it trumpets during a Planter's commercial. "disregarding any personal beliefs or bias"? Am I supposed to accept that an overriding belief that one's client raped or murdered someone should have absolutely no bearing on the actions and conduct of a LAWyer? I don't understand this. Where's any consideration of ethics or principles? There was a mountain of evidence, the only thing missing was a technicolor video tape. Means, motive, opportunity, DNA. Yes, the prosecution dropped the ball, but the result should be that a killer walks free?
The defense in OJ's case used as their argument that the blood was planted and a conspiracy took place among law enforcement to railroad OJ, not mere crime scene incompetence. Therefore IMO the defense knew they were plucking daisies and that their client was guilty. A history of racism and dishonesty in the LAPD and D. Gates being a jerk didn't justify fighting to turn a killer loose. Juries DO wrongfully convict people, they can make a bad call (that's one reason I oppose the death penalty), so it's plain logic that they can also wrongfully acquit. Whether in this case the wrongful acquittal was the result of a more compelling argument by the defense in the face of a tepid prosecution OR a collective desire to "teach the LAPD a lesson" I don't know and I don't care.
I guess I have to reiterate, I didn't say the atty should refuse to defend his/her client, though some do recuse themselves and I can't fault them (there are an awful lot of lawyers in every city) I said the atty should not say to the court and the people that their client is INNOCENT if they believe that to be a lie. They can fight to get the most lenient punishment by targeted research for mitigating factors, but the argument here seems to be that atty's should switch off their conscience and do whatever it takes to FREE someone who sawed off 2 persons' heads.
Would the same principle hold and just as much support & defense ensue here if Cochran's client had been Al-Zarqawi instead of a handsome, iconic ex-football hero? I wonder. Should a priest mumble through the confessional screen to the green river killer "say 10 'Hail Mary's', 5 'Our Fathers' and turn yourself in. Now go and sin no more"? I'm being told here that it's "unethical and illegal" to refrain from trying to set free a murderer in lieu of seeking the lightest sentence? I'm nonplussed and hirsute.

[merh]

52. That is not Mr. Cochran's fault, that is the fault of the prosecutors

Go back and read what evidence was not used during the trial, what was not produced, and you will see the prosecution let the people down, they let their clients down. The prosecution has the burden of proving guilt beyond reasonable doubt, they did not, the failed miserably.

And a little fyi - never, ever ask a witness to perform any task in front of the jury unless you know that the task is performably! The prosecutor was stupid when he asked OJ to try on the glove in the presence of the jury. If Cochran had not reminded the jury of this stupid, dramatic blunder by the prosecution, he would have been violating his ethical and lawful duty to his client.

Blame the prosecution, not the defense!

[Bat Boy]

31. He was also one of the DA's that went gunning for Lenny Bruce.

For that alone, screw him.

[oasis]

33. Yes he should have tossed his law degree aside and waited on tables.

[Dave Reynolds]

32. I always thought that he just did

what he was supposed to do, get his client the best possible outcome. He did this most visibly with OJ. He just so fucked up(figuratively speaking) Marcia Clark during that trial, and OJ (I still think guilty) got the very best possible result.

Plus he could rhyme like it was nobody's bidness.

[Dookus]

34. Hell yeah

He did his job, and he did it well. We are ALL fucked if we allow a state where defense attorneys can't do their job to the best of their abilities.

As for the OJ case, I have the utmost respect for his defense team. I believe fervently that the police tried to frame him, and whether or not he actually killed his wife, we simply cannot allow a man to be convicted on faked evidence.

Lawyers have been targeted by the right-wing for 20 years now, and it's clearly working. It's become very chic to hate lawyers. I wish people would stop and look at who benefits by advancing the idea that lawyers are crooked, lying, thieving, self-serving assholes. I can assure you, it is not you and I who benefit.

[iconoclastNYC]

37. I didn't like his smug demeanor N/T

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

38. I'll pat a criminal defense attorney on the back any day.

They perform a much-needed service for society and get nothing but shit in return. In fact, I think tomorrow I'll pat the attorney who contracted me to migrate his office to Linux. (A service that has just ended and was a complete success by the way)

[WilliamPitt]

39. The system doesn't work without defense attorneys

If there is no one to stand and defend the guys in the black hat, then there is no one to stand for you if you need a defender.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. It Doesn't Work That Well, With Them

It's a good thing that some defense attorneys are competent and honest. We've seen a fair share of prosecutorial misconduct and defense ineptitude in Illinois that puts innocent people in jail.

You say the system doesn't work without them. I'll say that without them, there is no system at all.
The Professor

[Buns_of_Fire]

42. Love him or hate him...

...I always told people that, if I were ever to be arrested for a capital crime, I wanted Johnnie Cochran for my lawyer!

[yella_dawg]

43. One has to admire the artistry

of the Chewebacca defense.

[Walt Starr]

44. Johnnie cochran did his job and did it well

He did precisely what I would want should I ever need a defense attorney.

The reason O.J. Simpson got away with murder has nothing to do with Johnnie Cochran and has everything to do with the ineptitude of the police and prosecutors.

Place the blame squarely where it belongs.

[ultraist]

50. I always admired Cochran

I respected his work and I liked his persona. I was really shocked and sad to hear he had died.

[captain crunch]

53. Hell, I think OJ did it and I'm glad he was found innocent.

African Americans have gotten the short end of the stick for years, remember Rodney King? This shit was bound to come to a head.
Johnny Cochran is a hero!!

[SemperEadem]

54. most folks would hate Cochran until their asses were in a sling

and they needed someone really good to get them off. Anyone can be railroaded by circumstantial evidence--just ask any of the innocent folks who've had their convictions overturned on DNA evidence.

[fishwax]

55. I admire Cochrane and think the attacks on him are absurd

He did a lot of good. My wife gave me his autobiography for Christmas a couple of years ago, and he lead a very interesting and productive life. He seemed, by all personal accounts, like a very good man.

A lot of the criticism with respect to the OJ trial was unwarranted. He did his job and did it well. He was criticized for "playing the race card," as if it was he and he alone who ever made an issue of the rampant racism of the LA Police force. Ever since the Right wing has used that phrase "playing the race card" as a kind of "get out of this discussion free" card which they use to end any and all legitimate discussion of contemporary issues of race.

The prosecution used as a chief witness a man who had a reputation as a racist and a history of making racist comments, so the race card was the card he was dealt. To not play it would have been a pretty severe breach of his duty to provide the best defense of his client. It's not like he invented racism out of whole cloth.

[mattclearing]

57. I am a big fan of Cochran's Chewbacca Defense.

A true legal milestone.

[Feathered Fish]

58. Lol!!

:rofl:

[nini]

59. He also represented the family of Ron Settles

who was found hanging in a Signal Hill, Ca jail cell.

Police said he commited suicide but just happened to be severly beaten also.

Ron Settles went to the same high school I did at the same time. He was playing football at Long Beach State when this happened. There is NO WAY in hell he did the things the police said he did and killing himself by hanging.

Cochran won a huge settlement for the Settles family.

For that I appreciate him though I wanted to kick his ass during the OJ fiasco. He did what he had to do there and got away with it because Ito had no control.