Talk:Johnnie Cochran

Concerning redirect

I redirected to Johnny_Cochran because that spelling gets about 140,000 Google hits with 70 relevant news articles, while this spelling gets 51,000 hits with 45 news articles. Paige 16:33, 29 Sep 2003 (UTC)

Is it important to mention Star Jones? I don't know the details, but on her Larry King interview, she says she learned as much from Barbara Walters as she did from the late Johnnie Cochran. He must have been one of her professors or something . . .

False Information?

I can not find any source that verifies that Cochran was stabbed in 2004. If this is true, it seems that nobody remembers it. I suggest we either verify it, or remove it. Mescad 02:35, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

Removed the section about his aleged stabbing. If there is a source to confirm this, it can be added back. I couldn't find any evidence to verify this ever happened. Mescad 21:25, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

The Note that the L. in Johnnie L. Chochran doesn't stand for anything also needs verifying. However, I couldn't find any information to prove otherwise. Mescad 02:35, 25 January 2006 (UTC)

The Michael Jackson case

In this article, it states that Cochran defended Jackson in the 1993 case. I think this may be an error, because I'm almost certain that it was the 2004 trial.

Wikiquotes

Do you think a small collection of quotes from Cochran can be put on that site. I had one on here, which it said "an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," but I think that got lost due to the various editing after his tragic passing. Zscout370 01:19, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

The one who deleted it said he was quoting Martin Luther King. But if you have other quotes, it would be nice to see them in the article. He was a great man; may he rest in peace. Alensha 19:59, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Oh, ok. However, I think it is more fitting to add his quotes in a project called Wikiquotes. If I can find a few more, we can stick some there. Zscout370 21:06, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

• I prefer not using Wikiquotes, because an editor would also watch an external site for edits. I would prefer adding a few quotes here as is done with a number of other articles. Notice, too, that Wikiquotes is not particularly useful, because it doesn't receive as many contributes, and I doubt it is as popular as Wikipedia. Stiles 06:11, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Cochran's ethnicity

Um, is there any particular reason why the addition of the fact that Cochran was an African-American to the lead sentence keeps getting removed? --FuriousFreddy 21:49, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

A lot of folks -- mostly white -- think it's unnecessary. We black folks, of course, generally tend to think just the opposite. I reinserted it with an edit note that his ethnicity is important because it influenced the kinds of cases Cochran took on -- which, indeed, it did. I happen to think ethnic identity belongs in any article dealing with an African-American personality. The way to insert it and get it to stick is to argue that it has a bearing on the person's life. And, of course, when it comes to being black in this country, color virtually always matters in some way or another -- so it's an easy sell. It's all about finessing it. Annoying and, IMO, silly; but you gotta play the Wiki game and try to keep folks happy. (See my latest edit.) I intend to watch this to make sure it stays in. Peace. deeceevoice 22:52, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I agree. Although I hate it. It does make a difference. Racism exists and it's still very important to point out that there are intelligent, influential Black men and woman. There is still a "Black History Month" to help educate people.

I am so sensitive about race, and it does piss me off that it DOES matter, still today in America. Morally it should not matter, but society still insists that it does, and continues to point it out. This is not a reason to add it in this article, of course. But should, in my opinion be added for historical significance for children or anyone else interested in African-American History. As "Deeceevoice" said it does matter in some way or another to Blacks in America despite class, education level, and contributions to the World, it matters and should be included, at least to be searchable. Jeeny 19:49, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

Civil Rights Clients

I think it's important to recognize that Cochran also was instrumental in the exhoneration of Black Panther Geronimo Pratt. Might also be ironic to point out that he prosecuted Lenny Bruce.--AMB 07:25, 1 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You're absolutely right. It bothered Cochran for years that he lost that case. (The cops hid exculpatory evidence.) Cochran fought hard to see justice done and eventually gained Pratt's release -- after Pratt spent 27 years behind bars. deeceevoice 13:05, 1 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Pop Culture refs: Seinfeld

Does anyone remember the character on Seinfeld that spoofed Cochran? I remember he handled a case with Kramer burning himself with coffee, and figuring heavily in the series finale's trial. Is this character notable enough to be included in the popular culture references? Dannybu2001 21:01, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

Just stumbled on this under pop culture refs: "Cochran himself took these parodies in stride, discussing them in his autobiography, A Lawyer’s Life. [...] In two episodes of Mind of Mencia, Cochran helps "Judge Carlos Mencia" deliver fake verdicts on real cases." I think this needs to be re-worked as it makes it seem that Johnnie himself participated in Mencia's show, despite having died months before the show's premier in June '05, as well as being referred to as "the ghost of..."68.32.202.248 03:30, 19 December 2006 (UTC)Ved

NASCAR

The following passage by 65.4.89.94 at 05:31, 27 December 2005:

One notorious case The Cochran Firm tried was in 2004, when the firm's attorneys, representing Francis Ferko and accomplices, were able to bully NASCAR into eliminating its Grand Slam by forcing NASCAR to surrender the Mountain Dew Southern 500 in Darlington, SC, and giving a new date to Texas Motor Speedway.

...is POV and doesn't make any sense. Remove? --Adamrush 12:23, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

Prosecutor, not District Attorney

He served as a deputy city attorney, not as a district attorney (which is a distinctly separate office). He does not belong in the category "District Attorneys" but does belong in the category "Prosecutors".

Proposed edit

While this article is well-referenced and I salute all the hard work, it reads somewhat like a press-release to me. I would like to edit it with the goal of acheiving a more neutral, factual tone. I am open to input on this. Thanks! Sadie12 21:12, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Press-release? I thought I was reading a biography written for a 5th grade english class. Its really not well done.

Tory

Lower courts, before Cochran died, held that Tory could not make any public comments about Johnnie Cochran in any way imaginable.

Come on now, in any way imaginable? Seems very unlikly. WiccaWeb 14:58, 27 June 2007 (UTC)