05 LC 98
1021
House
Resolution 972
By:
Representatives Heard of the
114th,
McClinton of the
84th,
Watson of the
91st,
Sims of the
151st,
Lucas of the
139th,
and others
A
RESOLUTION
Remembering
and honoring the life of Johnnie Cochran, Jr.; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
on October 2, 1937, Johnnie Cochran, Jr., was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, to
loving parents who stressed the importance of education, independence, and a
color-blind attitude; and
WHEREAS,
the family moved to Los Angeles, California, where Mr. Cochran received his
bachelor's degree in 1959 at the University of California, Los Angeles, before
going on to study at the Loyola Marymount University School of Law;
and
WHEREAS,
after passing the California bar in 1963, he took a job with the City of Los
Angeles, serving as deputy city attorney in the criminal division until entering
private practice in 1965; and
WHEREAS,
taking a series of highly-publicized cases involving racial prejudice, Mr.
Cochran became a prominent and highly respected figure among Los Angeles's
African American community; and
WHEREAS,
after taking a job in the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, Cochran
returned to private practice in 1983 and established himself as one of the top
lawyers in the western United States, receiving one of his first major victories
in the case of Ron Settles, a college football player who died at the hands of
police brutality; and
WHEREAS,
Mr. Cochran is best known for his celebrity cases, which launched his name
across the country, including cases against Michael Jackson,
Diff'rent
Strokes star Todd Bridges, and O. J.
Simpson, but he used these as opportunities to shed light on the discrimination
affecting everyday individuals from Los Angeles's minority community and was an
outstanding advocate for their cause; and
WHEREAS,
controversial, but effective, Mr. Cochran's engaging manner and sincerity have
earned him respect across the country, and it is highly fitting that his legacy
be appropriately recognized.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of
this body join to express their deepest regret at the passing of Mr. Johnnie
Cochran, Jr., and extend to his family their most sincere
condolences.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the family of
Mr. Johnnie Cochran, Jr.