Is any lawyer in America more famous or more controversial than Johnnie Cochran? Whether he is masterminding the defense of O. J. Simpson, representing Michael Jackson, or lecturing Larry King on racial profiling, Cochran is news. In this candid autobiography, the dapper attorney puts himself on the stand, explaining his thoughts and courtroom strategies in numerous high-profile cases and discussing his effect on American law. Cochran writes frankly about his much-criticized use of the "race card" in the Simpson case and discusses how media attention can force fundamental change in American justice.
Cochran's book goes beyond just a highly readable recitation of his transformation from deputy district attorney to counsel in such history-making cases as those of Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, Reginald Denny, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt and, of course, O.J. Simpson. Cochran's case-by-case narrative spotlights a host of weak spots in the criminal justice system as well as (perhaps unintentionally) the complex and morally ambiguous role that lawyers play in identifying those flaws. — Edward Lazarus
As Cochran freely concedes, his representation of O.J. Simpson transformed him from a lawyer into a celebrity. In this memoir of his professional life, he tries to put that case in perspective. Although a fierce critic of the racism he sees in the legal system and among the L.A. police, Cochran says the common perception that he is anti-law enforcement is wrong; he began his career as a prosecutor, but he is on a mission to eradicate racism wherever he finds it. Long before the Simpson case, he made a name for himself (and a small fortune) by successfully bringing police brutality cases on behalf of African-Americans like Barbara Deadwyler, whose husband was shot dead for no apparent reason while rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital. Cochran lost that early case and many others because, in his view, white juries refused to believe that police officers would lie under oath. Unfortunately, this memoir reads as though it was dictated to co-author Fisher (My Best Friends, with George Burns): it drifts from one legal war story to the next, often repeats details and occasionally leaves thoughts dangling. And that's a shame, because Cochran's experience gives him the authority to utter some uncomfortable truths, among them that justice is often reserved for the wealthy. Worse yet, he says, racism permeates the entire system, from the cop on the beat to the judge on the bench. Cochran musters case after case in support of these conclusions. This revelatory, often dismaying account provides a cogent explanation of why many African-Americans have such a jaded view of our legal system. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Best known for his role in the "Trial of the Century" as O.J. Simpson's lead attorney, Cochran (Journey to Justice) describes how this high-profile case changed his life, how it became a "legal soap opera," and how he found himself both loved and hated, enduring threats against him and his family. He also discusses his efforts for other clients, including Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, and Michael Jackson.
The most well-known African-American attorney (and perhaps most well-known attorney, period) of our time spins tales of courtroom drama, racism, and the good life.
Many readers, it seems fair to say, will want the answer to just one question: "Did O.J. do it?" Cochran, the captain of O.J. Simpson’s Dream Team, provides a suitably elusive answer in several parts, which boils down to this: Simpson always insisted, in privileged conversations with his attorney, that he didn’t; the jury found Simpson innocent of the charge of murdering his wife because the state did not prove its case beyond any reasonable doubt; a neo-Nazi cop (who, Cochran alleges, though apparently a "reasonably articulate professional, in fact . . . was a lying thug") was after Simpson for his own reasons. Granted, Cochran writes of the post-verdict Simpson, "it is fair to say that some of the things he’s said and some of the schemes in which he’s gotten involved were probably not as well thought out as they should have been"—well, that’s no reason to torment the guy or suspect him of doing evil. On O.J., though, Cochran offers less meaningful detail than he does on the celebrated cases of Amadou Diallo and Abner Louima, along with many other less widely reported trials, even though it was l’affaire Simpson that made him a household name—and apparently added greatly to his wealth, even if Cochran has trouble deciding from one page to the next whether he’s rich or merely comfortable. This hurried memoir may frustrate readers seeking insight into Cochran’s inarguably brilliant legal mind, as there is little here on his education, influences, and formative experiences. Still, Cochran does give some accounting of hisworking methods, which emphasize "preparation, preparation, and then additional preparation." As well, he ably explores the depth of racism in American society and the consequent difficulty of African Americans and members of other minority groups to find justice. In doing so, Cochran rises to impassioned eloquence—and Americans who do not know firsthand the truth of his arguments may well feel ashamed after reading this.
A split decision, then, though lawyers-in-training and close students of current events should find value in Cochran’s pages.
