Johnnie Cochrane dead at age 67

[RoyalDiva]

Wow...I had no idea he was ill.


Superstar Lawyer Johnnie Cochran Dies

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press Writer


LOS ANGELES - Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., who became a legal superstar after helping clear O.J. Simpson during a sensational murder trial in which he uttered the famous quote "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit," died Tuesday. He was 67.


AP Photo

Reuters

Slideshow: Famed Lawyer Johnnie Cochran Dead at 67


Cochran died of a brain tumor at his home in Los Angeles, his family said.



"Certainly, Johnnie's career will be noted as one marked by 'celebrity' cases and clientele," his family said in a statement. "But he and his family were most proud of the work he did on behalf of those in the community."



With his colorful suits and ties, his gift for courtroom oratory and a knack for coining memorable phrases, Cochran was a vivid addition to the pantheon of best-known American barristers.



The "if it doesn't fit" phrase would be quoted and parodied for years afterward. It derived from a dramatic moment during which Simpson tried on a pair of bloodstained "murder gloves" to show jurors they did not fit. Some legal experts called it the turning point in the trial.



Soon after, jurors found the Hall of Fame football star not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

For Cochran, Simpson's acquittal was the crowning achievement in a career notable for victories, often in cases with racial themes. He was a black man known for championing the causes of black defendants. Some of them, like Simpson, were famous, but more often than not they were unknowns....

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050329/ap_on_re_us/obit_cochran

 

[bdouble013]

Wow. I can't say I always liked Mr. Cochrane, but the man did have flair. RIP.

 

[hoopsfan]

My father worked at the courthouse in downtown LA for about 20 years. He remembers when Johnny was just a young pup...and he was a jerk then too. Oh, but he did have flair!

(I don't wish ill on anyone, but when your time's up...)

 

[Twix]

OMG...surprise to hear this!


RIP Johnnie Cochran.

 

[Purple Reign]

My father worked at the courthouse in downtown LA for about 20 years. He remembers when Johnny was just a young pup...and he was a jerk then too. Oh, but he did have flair!

(I don't wish ill on anyone, but when your time's up...)

SHAME !!! Johnnie Cochran was a great American, and a great human being. He did so much for the African American community, and was a great oratator and a great avocate. I always said that if I ever needed someone to speak for me, Johnnie was the man. Too bad many of ya'll will lump him in with Simpson, but the man was one of the great attorneys and civil rights activist of our generation.

He will truely be missed.

 

[hoopsfan]

I feel no shame. That's just my opinion.
He may have done many good things..doesn't make him a nice person.

 

[iheartBrad]

SHAME !!! Johnnie Cochran was a great American, and a great human being. He did so much for the African American community, and was a great oratator and a great avocate. I always said that if I ever needed someone to speak for me, Johnnie was the man. Too bad many of ya'll will lump him in with Simpson, but the man was one of the great attorneys and civil rights activist of our generation.

He will truely be missed.

I agree...

I heard about this on the local news a few hours ago...me, my mom and my dad all gasped and said oh my god at the same time...i didn't know he was 67 years old...i don't think he looked 67...and i also had no idea that he was ill...not that he or his family had to share it with the country...but ya know how the media is you'd think everyone would have known...

RIP

 

[LA Girl]

SHAME !!! Johnnie Cochran was a great American, and a great human being. He did so much for the African American community, and was a great oratator and a great avocate. I always said that if I ever needed someone to speak for me, Johnnie was the man. Too bad many of ya'll will lump him in with Simpson, but the man was one of the great attorneys and civil rights activist of our generation.

He will truely be missed.

Missed by whom? He helped a murderer (O.J.) walk free. I'm sure Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman's family are not too upset that he is dead and neither am I.
A few years ago he was in the law office I work in, and he is a jerk.

 

[PJAZZ19]

Missed by whom? He helped a murderer (O.J.) walk free. I'm sure Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman's family are not too upset that he is dead and neither am I.
A few years ago he was in the law office I work in, and he is a jerk.

He's an attorney. It's his job to help his client--whether guilty or innocent. Whether he's a jerk or not is really just an opinion.

 

[Fillmoe]

R.I.P to one of the greatest attorneys to ever live!

 

[LA Girl]

Johnnie is what's good about the law," Simpson said in a telephone interview from Florida. "I don't think I'd be home today without Johnnie."

A quote from OJ Simpson, the murderer.
Gee, thanks Johnnie. What a great man you were.

 

[iheartBrad]

IMO the man died today...if you really don't care that he's dead or if you thought he was a jerk or whatever i really don't think you should post at all in this thread...

 

[LA Girl]

You are only allowed to post if you love Johnnie Cochran? I don't think so. Having previously stated my opinion, I'm off to watch American Idol.

 

[Gargamel]

Too bad many of ya'll will lump him in with Simpson, but the man was one of the great attorneys and civil rights activist of our generation.

He will truely be missed.

A lot of people don't know that he also was Reginald Denny's attorney (truck driver nearly beaten to death in the 1992 LA Riots).

 

[Fillmoe]

You are only allowed to post if you love Johnnie Cochran? I don't think so. Having previously stated my opinion, I'm off to watch American Idol.

i think what shes trying to say is when someone dies have some respect! You are acting like Cochran handed OJ the knife and gun! Despite what you say Cochran was a great attorney... most famously known for the OJ case. He also helped out 2pac, Mike Tyson, Sean Combs(PDiddy), Rosa Parks, Reginald Denny(Rodney King/La Riots), Jim Brown.. and many more. Hes won more awards in Politics and Law than anyone I can remember.... Great attorneys are suppose to get their clients the lowest punishment possible and thats what he thrived on doing. Law schools students study the steps that Cochran took in the OJ case! Thats how good he was. He was the best at what he did. He did a great deal for the African/American community.... He will greatly be missed. I advise you to stop posting and have some respect for someone that has just passed on

 

[HndsmCelt]

Missed by whom? He helped a murderer (O.J.) walk free. I'm sure Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman's family are not too upset that he is dead and neither am I.
A few years ago he was in the law office I work in, and he is a jerk.

Your right how dare an attorney give his client the best defense he is capible of... what kind of legal system would allow for the accused to put up his BEST defense, I'm sure most of would be just fine with a second or third rate attorney were we on trial....


















RIP Johnny

 

[Prophetess]

The ROSA PARKS??

that was something i didn't know.

 

[LA Girl]

i think what shes trying to say is when someone dies have some respect! You are acting like Cochran handed OJ the knife and gun! Despite what you say Cochran was a great attorney... most famously known for the OJ case. He also helped out 2pac, Mike Tyson, Sean Combs(PDiddy), Rosa Parks, Reginald Denny(Rodney King/La Riots), Jim Brown.. and many more. Hes won more awards in Politics and Law than anyone I can remember.... Great attorneys are suppose to get their clients the lowest punishment possible and thats what he thrived on doing. Law schools students study the steps that Cochran took in the OJ case! Thats how good he was. He was the best at what he did. He did a great deal for the African/American community.... He will greatly be missed. I advise you to stop posting and have some respect for someone that has just passed on

Johnny Carson had my 'respect' when he died. So did Ronald Reagan, and many others. Johnnie Cochran? Nope, sorry. You can 'advise' me to stop posting all you want. I stand by my opinion.

 

[Fillmoe]

The ROSA PARKS??

that was something i didn't know.

yah he was her attorney in that Outkast lawsuit, where she sued them for the song "Rosa Parks"


LAGirl, it just shocks me that we have so few black role models and even they catch a bad wrap........ i have nothing more to add to this thread.


RIP Johnnie

 

[Bricklayer]

My mama always said if you can't say something nice...



Of course when in the hell have I ever listened to dear ole mom.


Personally I do not consider this much of a loss. Nonetheless I think it would be better if we don't turn the thread into a rehashment of the OJ trial.

 

[bdouble013]

Cochrane was controversial. O.J. got off because a jury aquitted him. Unfortuantely for you LA Girl he is not a murderer until he is proven one. He made the system work and it worked in O.J.'s favor. Was it the correct decision? I don't know, but the system worked the way it was supposed to.

You know, there are governments out there where people accused of murder get killed on the spot. Would you rather have that?

Johnnie Cochrane might have pushed the limit a lot of the time. Frankly his defense of O.J. is the LEAST offensive thing that he has done in my mind.

 

[Bricklayer]

Cochrane was controversial. O.J. got off because a jury aquitted him. Unfortuantely for you LA Girl he is not a murderer until he is proven one. He made the system work and it worked in O.J.'s favor. Was it the correct decision? I don't know, but the system worked the way it was supposed to.

You know, there are governments out there where people accused of murder get killed on the spot. Would you rather have that?

Johnnie Cochrane might have pushed the limit a lot of the time. Frankly his defense of O.J. is the LEAST offensive thing that he has done in my mind.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough -- we are NOT going to rehash the OJ trial in a thread in our light little lounge. Any further posts in that vein will be deleted.

 

[bdouble013]

Ah come on Brickie. Whats the fun in that!

 

[RoyalDiva]

SHAME !!! Johnnie Cochran was a great American, and a great human being. He did so much for the African American community, and was a great oratator and a great avocate. I always said that if I ever needed someone to speak for me, Johnnie was the man. Too bad many of ya'll will lump him in with Simpson, but the man was one of the great attorneys and civil rights activist of our generation.

He will truely be missed.

He did do many great things in his career, but he pretty much shot himself in the foot by taking on the Simpson case. That one just made him look like some greedy jerk who would stoop to any low to get Simpson off. It overshadowed his good contributions to the justice system.

 

[G_M]

OJ, did he do something wrong?

Sincerely,

Robert Blake

 

[RoyalDiva]

LOL

 

[Alacron]

There are just certain professions which require no conscience. IMHO, defense attorney is one of them. Personally, I wouldn't want to have to live with myself if I got guys like OJ (or worse) back onto the street. The guilt might even manifest itself in physical ways, like say a brain tumor or something.
~~

 

[quick dog]

Other than setting back race relations in America by 10 years, heaping grief on honest lawyers, and freeing an obvious celebrity-murderer, what's not to like about Johnny Cochran?

 

[tbear03]

RIP Johnnie Cochran.

 

[Bibby_Is_Clutch]

Wow. I can't say I always liked Mr. Cochrane, but the man did have flair. RIP.

Agree with you there. This is a huge shock and dissapointment.