Cochran didn't represent him in that case. It used to come in a bag. And I use an earpiece. So it's in a very dynamic state. And you're putting a heat source, essentially, close to your ear, close to your brain for, you know, again, long periods of time, depending on how long you use it. Cochran signed on as part of a "dream team" of lawyers defending the Hall of Famer. ", Cochran represented former Black Panther Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. This was the question that Larry King posed this week to Dena Cochran, the widow of Johnnie Cochran (who died of the disease), as well as to a group of five doctors. BLACK: I actually received a call from Johnnie's assistant, as Dale indicated, concerned about his difficulty with memory and also some difficulty with speech. I can think back at least five years ago when Dr. Black wore an ear piece back then. In legal circles, the verdict represented the pinnacle of success for a respected attorney who had toiled in the Los Angeles legal profession for three decades. And I think as part of that question, the World Health Organization has come to a point where it agreed about a decade ago -- or over a decade ago -- to host the Interphone Study Group. For a time, he represented high-profile athletes and music stars in contract matters. Cochran, who died in 2005, also is a central character on the FX series American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. His daughter Tiffany, for one, no longer holds a cell phone to her head. Is that true? It's a victory, really, for all of us. He's the head of that. KING: Is this much safer than that? KING: Dr. Black will be returning. It remains an enigma. THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. KING: Sanjay, what does the manual say? ``I don't know why he turned against me, why he cut me off, why he would want to see me hurt,'' a tearful or redistributed. We need to be -- we need to have an open mind. And Cochrans friend and doctor, Simpson of the murder, he was ordered to surrender by 11 am on june 17 Simpson did not surrender vanished, but was tracked down later in the day when he made a call from his cell phone on the Santana Ana freeway. In 1994, Cochran joined Alan Dershowitz, F. Lee Bailey, Robert Shapiro, Barry Scheck and Robert Kardashian to form the core of the so-called dream team of lawyers hired to defend athlete/actor O.J. That's the founding editor and publisher of Microwave News, maybe the major publication in this field. GUPTA: Larry, based on the industry's recommendations, all the scientific studies we read, let me show you the safest way to use a cell phone. So caution should be our guide. KHURANA: I strongly disagree with Dr. Thun's perspective. I mean, the proper way to use a phone would to be hold it like this. Then, on October 15, 1995, the jury returned the not guilty verdict that divided the nation. WebJohnnie Cochran lost his fight against brain cancer earlier this year. You remember early cell phones. While Cochran seemed to revel in his fame, he often emphasized justice for the less well known. So we're not just talking about tumors, and I was not just implying brain tumors, but there are other health effects. I use an earpiece now, as Dale Cochran talked about. BLACK: It was in the skull, yes. I was innocent, but he believed it. Well, let's break it down a little. Again, they don't recommend that based on the industry's recommendation. It went down as phones got more advanced. BLACK: I use a cell phone, but I always use an earpiece. KING: You are watching LARRY KING LIVE. Both defense attorneys Robert Shapiro and Johnnie Cochran believed from the outset that Simpson was guilty, Toobin says. And I really want to focus on a couple of issues, which is that, you know, when a patient comes into your office with a brain tumor, and they are very scared; they are afraid as to what caused this brain tumor, it's very important to focus a patient's attention and to focus the nation's attention not on this potentially very remote cause of brain tumors, but on trying to think about new treatment options and trying to get the nation to focus on how can we treat brain tumors, rather than this very remote cause of brain tumors. Astrological Sign: Libra, Loyola Marymount University School of Law, Death Year: 2005, Death date: March 29, 2005, Death State: California, Death City: Los Angeles, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Johnnie Cochran Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/legal-figures/johnnie-cochran, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 17, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Occupation. What do you base it on? So those brains are much more susceptible. Market data provided by Factset. @@*@@* FILE @@*@@*Attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. holds onto O.J. Do you think there's a link? He still lives with me. Secondly, you referred to the overwhelming data that suggests it's safe. Pratt was convicted and imprisoned, while Cochran maintained that the activist was railroaded by authorities, pushing for a retrial. It's a multi-billion dollar industry and a mounting controversy. I do not hold it to my ear. He briefly became a special assistant to the Los Angeles County district attorney in the 1970s, setting up a unit to prosecute domestic violence cases. This is animation of the brain, sort of looking at it from the behind, as you can see there. GUPTA: Well KING: You had to be suspicious or why -- why bother with the earpiece? DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting, because you look at all the studies out there and most people will say, look, I mean they're fine. Brad has a phone in his pocket of his pants. Cochran, who died in 2005, also is a central character on the FX series American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. By the time Simpson was acquitted, Cochran and co-counsel Shapiro were on the outs. KING: There are a lot of don'ts. This is due to failing a drug test and violating bail conditions, earlier this month. And, you know, I think, for the most part, people watching who use a cell phone will be just fine. And, two, how far along has the industry evolved? Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. fame, said that this case, the case of Geronimo ji-Jaga, was the most important of his life, and the happiest day was the day that he was released. ", The case quickly became a media circus, set in motion with the televised police pursuit of a white Ford Bronco on a Los Angeles freeway. So you can't run a comparison like tobacco and lung cancer, the user and the nonuser. He had surgery, right? BLACK: We did a biopsy, yes. But as a lay person, I have no knowledge -- scientific knowledge that there is a definitive link. Over the years, Cochran's roster included famous entertainers like actor Todd Bridges, who was charged with attempted murder, and pop icon Michael Jackson, with Cochran arranging an out-of-court settlement for the singer in relation to child molestation charges. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TIFFANY COCHRAN EDWARDS, JOHNNIE COCHRAN'S DAUGHTER: He was such a wonderful man. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. More studies are needed. Meanwhile others may choose to apply the "precautionary principle." KING: Use it? But this is not a painful process. His first marriage, to his college sweetheart, Barbara Berry, produced two daughters, Melodie and Tiffany. Did he die at home? But, you know, I've read all these studies, Larry. And, so, you are sort of asking for a definite answer to state where the science is quite indefinite. D. COCHRAN: Yes, he was on the phone a lot. GUPTA: They say, use it. called in during that show. WebOne 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. The player's body was exhumed, an autopsy performed and it revealed Settles had been choked. D. COCHRAN: He's still living. I mean any function that the brain is responsible for can be a symptom of a brain tumor. He's Dr. Vini Khurana. Simpson was found not guilty of murder. He was 67. Legal Statement. Meanwhile, wear an earpiece, or holster and all will be well, the doctors said. So there are definitely precautions we should take. One is that, you know, where there is smoke, there's fire, that's the old adage, right? And when you are actually using the phone, it should be kept at least 15 millimeters up to an inch away from your ear. The earner has no shutter. BLACK: Teenagers and even younger -- and they will be using cell phones for 20 or 30 years, we do not have enough data now to say that, you know, that is a safe device. So we know that there is KING: You can't discuss an individual case then? Are you more confused when you listen to the two doctors? Last month, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the First Amendment case of Tory v. Cochran. And if there is a potential cause out there, we need to seriously look into it. But first, if the manual says keep it in some sort of holster and keep it away from your ear, would you say the manufacturer is worried about something, Dr. Schwartz? Is technology advancing faster than medical research? KING: Some have called cell phone use more dangerous than smoking. Cochran, is perhaps best known for representing former football star Simpson during his trial on You know, it's the antenna for the cell phone that is the source for the microwave energy. D. COCHRAN: Yes. THUN: You are absolutely right. Again, a wired ear piece down to an industry approved holster is what the people recommend. Simpson as a not guilty verdict is read in a Los Angeles courtroom in this file photo taken Oct. 3, 1995. They went down in this non- ionizing radio frequency as well, which was a good thing, I think, by everyone's admission. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. His clients also included Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, who was tortured by New York police, and Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old black woman shot to death by Riverside police who said she reached for a gun on her lap when they broke her car window in an effort to disarm her. D. COCHRAN: We knew it was serious, but we thought it was treatable and that, you know, we should work our way out of it. I would not want to be a heavy user of a mobile phone. Because of widespread coverage of the Simpson trial, Cochran entered the superstar realm of celebrity, reportedly receiving a $2.5 million advance to write his memoirs. And congratulations to Jeff in Freemont, Nebraska. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. KING: All right, Dr. Gupta, Dr. Black says it's possible. BLACK: That's correct. And this is not implying that every brain tumor is the result of this. In the March 8 episode "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," it was revealed that Johnnie Cochran's ex-wife, Barbara Jean Berry, had accused him of domestic violence, a claim which he denied.