Journey to Justice

by Johnnie Cochran

He's become a household Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., the brilliant orator and legal strategist who captained the Dream Team in the trial of the century. But behind the man the media created is a story of a life spent in the trenches of the American legal system, fighting not for clients as high-profile as O. J. Simpson, but for individuals whose voices are too often silenced. Journey to Justice   is an unflinching portrait of Johnnie Cochran and the legal system that he has so profoundly influenced. It will forever change our understanding of what works and what doesn't in America's most noble and troubling institution.


From the Paperback edition.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography, Memoir

383 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer perhaps best known for his leadership in the legal defense of O. J. Simpson, who was charged with the murder of his former wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Cochran also represented Sean Combs (during his trial on gun and bribery charges), Michael Jackson, actor Todd Bridges, football player Jim Brown, rappers Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, and Reginald Oliver Denny, the trucker beaten by a mob during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He also defended athlete Marion Jones when she faced charges of doping during her high school track career. Cochran was known for his skill in the courtroom and his prominence as an early advocate for victims of alleged police abuse.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The life of Johnnie Cochran & his fight from discrimination & justice for everyone. He was very religious,very close to his family & very charitable. Johnnie won the two most prestigious awards given to lawyers & was the first African American to become the number three deputy district attorney in Los Angeles.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Also an eye opener!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnnie brushed me up on the word "fortitude" and what it really means to women and people of color. So worth re-visiting. His perspective on it was thought inspiring and moving. After this point in the book he had my full attention.
It was interesting to learn that the FBI has "black informants" / field agents in the inner cities of Los Angeles. Do black spys in black communities count as a form of black on black crime I wonder? Johnnie lived during a time when homosexuality was still kept in the closet-several professional men lived double lives for this reason to my surprise and disappointment. It just hurts to read about the fake marriages as a woman. Poor ladies in the eighties . . . they really had to be prudent.
Johnnie explores a theme of "two-ness" all through out this memoir that is deeply empathetic. I would go further than Johnnie and argue that we all suffer from a form of two-ness . . . ok maybe all but wealthy white men and women. . . ay yi yi
Johnnie defines his turning point/ life lesson as one requiring a man to be tougher, skeptical and brave in the pursuit of truth. He even quotes Dr. King, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
Chapter 7: Jonah and the Whale might as well have been my story. Johnnie pulled words right out of my heart and mind in this chapter. At this point in his memoir, I am Johnnie Cochran. He was able to decide his purpose . . . . a powerful stand to take in this life if you ask me . . . powerful.
He quotes Frederick Douglas, "The struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it maybe both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle." I sit up and scream at the words on the page. Johnnie Cochran is a man I would have loved to meet, flatter and smell. Powerful mindset.
He concludes that power concedes nothing without a demand, it never has and never will.
Snap-I've got the Power - - YouTube
As the memoir continues Johnnie admits that like me he did the "heart thing and not the smart thing" when it came to people and that God was the mystery behind his strength, relationships and ability to keep promises. He describes how we all have days in life that are like bookmarks-dividing what happened before from what happened thereafter.
As he gets into the Simpson trail every page is a "Look at God!!" squeal of praise or a nail biting "Aahhh!! Uh uh no, no, noooo!!! oh ok, ok" moment with many reminders to self- "deep breaths . . . deep breaths. . ."
I was in middle school when the verdict came out-I now know why it was such a heart thumping story still making money today.
David and Goliath is like the first story you learn in church school and thanks to Johnnie one of the most uniquely interpreted biblical stories for our times. Davids and Goliaths are part of our everyday lives if we have the wisdom to see and patience to wait out trials. After reading this book I was convinced-no lie can live forever. Johnnie has been dead for over 10 years now. I am thankful to my father who shared this book with me for Christmas holiday reading. It was worth every moment.

[Jason Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the 30th anniversary of the verdict of the O.J. Simpson trial, a.k.a. "The Trial of the Century" at hand, I read "Journey to Justice," written by O.J. Simpson's lead trial attorney, Johnnie L. Cochran, who authored the book shortly after the case's final verdict. The first two-thirds of "Journey to Justice" is entirely biographical, starting off with Cochran's early days as a young boy in Shreveport, Louisiana. Chapter One depicts Johnnie's early years growing up in a racist and economically depressed northwestern Louisiana, where school, church and family comprised the foundation of Cochran's life in Shreveport. Still, Cochran suggests that his life growing up in Shreveport, was not particularly bad due to living surrounded by a loving close-knit family with high values.

Not too far into his childhood, Cochran's forward thinking and upwardly mobile father Johnnie L. Cochran Sr., brought the core of the Cochran family to San Francisco during World War II so he could accept a lucrative shipyard job. In San Francisco, little Johnnie happened to that his family and his fellow African American community were inhabiting a land of previous dwellers. He could not help but notice the remnants of art and culture which represented an Asian culture. Japanese Americans who once lived and thrived in the area had lost their houses and businesses during the long years of their imprisonment in the internment camps during the Second World War. Cochran notes: "That we newcomers were the beneficiaries of another people's misfortune was only dimly known to even the adults among us, if at all."

Cochran's father encountered roadblocks while pursuing a higher education during the Great Depression, but he still managed to find time to self-educate. Cochran credits his father for his studious habits which inspired Cochran Jr. to achieve a balance of work and school up until Cochran Jr. studied law at Loyola Law school. Cochran's upstart father began climbing the ladder of a life insurance company, leading the Cochran family to move across the country from Louisiana to San Francisco, and then ultimately onto Los Angeles, where Cochran becomes a top student at L.A. Highschool, who then attends UCLA.

“Journey to Justice” takes readers through Cochran's legal cases as he alternates working as an attorney for public and private practices. Cochran finds himself battling police corruption and police brutality throughout many of his cases. He recounts a surprising number of cases in which innocent and/or downtrodden African Americans are victimized by the police and the justice system. As Cochran advances upward through the legal system, he details specific cases which were rife with corrupt police forces, a rigged justice system, and countless acts of unimaginable police brutality.

Cochran labels his collective adversaries, "the Philistine," which consists of corrupt racist police forces and the machinery that supports them. This is of course, is also a Biblical reference. Cochran draws biblical comparisons when describing his battles in court throughout the book. As Cochran's Stature and rank, primarily as a criminal defense lawyer, rises, so does his ability to wound the Philistine - a foe to whom he had lost to too many times as a young attorney. In cases where the police pulled over, beat up, maimed or even killed African American drivers, Cochran began suing (usually the LAPD) successfully, sending the "Philistine" messages that times were changing.

“Journey to Justice” takes a turn and heats up at the start of chapter ten during which Cochran turns on the Today show one weekday morning in 1994, where he learns about the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of former football star O.J. Simpson, and, at that point, an unidentified young man, both found stabbed to death. Cochran shares his thoughts at that time, feeling frustrated that the LAPD was taking advantage of a compliant O.J. Simpson, and wondering why Simpson's lawyer at the time was doing so little to protect Simpson. Eventually, O.J. Simpson begins calling Cochran from jail for help, urging Cochran to represent him in the upcoming murder case. This prompts Cochran to poll colleagues, close friends, and family members in deciding whether to join Simpson's growing team of lawyers.
“Journey to Justice” gives the reader deeper insight into what was transpiring on O.J. Simpson's dream team of lawyers. Standing out is Cochran's tense relationship with attorney Robert Shapiro. Interaction between Cochran and Shapiro provide great drama-within-the drama. From jury selection to cross examinations to closing arguments, there is not a dull moment in the final third of the book.

Bolstering Cochran and his team’s case is LAPD officer Mark Fuhrman, who pleads the Fifth to questions regarding his actions and any potential involvement in the O.J. Simpson case, including the specific question of whether he planted or manufactured evidence. Regarding Fuhrman, Cochran says: "He was the living embodiment of the social evil against which I had struggled for so much of my career."

I must of course mention Cochran’s most memorable statement, “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.” That was the mantra of lead defense attorney Cochran, who made an illustrious career taking on corrupt and less-than-truthful police officers in Los Angeles.

After Simpson’s Dream Team (Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey, Robert Shapiro, Alan Dershowitz, Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld), won an acquittal of the two murders when the verdict was announced on October 3rd, 1995, Cochran became a household name: Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., the brilliant orator, and legal strategist who captained the Dream Team in the trial of the century. But behind the man the media created is a story of a life spent in the trenches of the American legal system, fighting not for clients as high-profile as O. J. Simpson, but for individuals whose voices are too often silenced. “Journey to Justice” is an unfettered portrait of Johnnie Cochran and the legal system that he has so profoundly influenced.

Cochran's account of every twist and turn of the defense team's efforts to defend O.J. Simpson is well documented so I will refrain from retreading all of that. One interesting thing that Cochran does is list all his team’s questions which have answers that do not seem to add up or make sense. Some of these are fascinating observations, and eyebrow-raising questions about the murders and the investigation. The book devotes over twenty pages to the Dream Team's collective questions and unusual observations of the crime scene(s) and the prosecution's case. I will list a fraction of them right here:

• "How did one glove appear at the Bundy Drive crime scene while the other glove appeared at Rockingham (O.J.'s place) days later.?"

• " Why didn't either glove show up in the first wave of crime scene photos?"

• "Why did O.J. allow himself to be apprehended, questioned and have his blood take by LAPD detectives * without his lawyer present?"

• "Would Mr. Simpson-or any other rational human being-kill the mother of his children while they are close at hand, likely to awaken at any time and come upon the scene?"

• "For what purpose was Detective Vannatter carrying Mr. Simpson's blood around in his pocket for two days?"

• "Why did the blood show up on the sock almost two months after a careful search, and why, as demonstrated by Cr. Henry Lee, was the blood applied when there was no foot in it.?"

• "Why aren't there any bruises or marks on O.J. Simpson's body after, not only two purported murders, but somewhat of an apparent prolonged fight with Ron Goldman, who had bruises all over his knuckles?"

• "Why did O.J., who had a great life, fame fortune, great kids, a great mother to raise the kids, access to women throughout the world, and a model girlfriend-kill Nicole?"

• "Why are there no blood trails to either glove?"

• "Who do bloodstains with the most DNA does not show up until weeks after the murder?"

• “One would think that O.J's white Ford Bronco would be smeared and covered with blood after stabbing two people to death. Instead, investigators find a couple carefully placed droplets of blood replete with high concentrations of EDTA.”

• Cochran and his colleagues also wondered: “The suspicious evidence had common denominators. About every piece of questionable evidence showed 1) an unusually high concentration of DNA. and 2) High levels of the synthesized preservative EDTA.”

Up until Johnnie Cochran’s passing in 2005, he maintained that the jury’s acquittal of O.J. Simpson was a fair and just verdict. Not surprisingly, in Journey to Justice, Cochran never comes right out and proclaims Simpson innocent, nor does he state, “Simpson did not commit the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.” While the case remains officially unsolved, Cochran’s book covering the events of the case, along with his own life and times is undoubtedly a worthwhile read.

- Jason Patrick Collins

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

provides an inside look nto the OJ trial, the other side/angle,

[Clarence Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great read about the OJ case and other interesting cases

[Jarred Goodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid read...learned a lot about Mr. Cochran and his career...the man just stood up for what he felt right...the O.J. part brought the book down a bit, as he showed no humbleness in his own personal assessment...still, Cochran lived an iconic life...

[James Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable insight into the live of the head attorney of the O.J. Simpson, trial of the century.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, reading about his upbringing, the trials and his beliefs.

[F. L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is with great pleasure that I am writing a review for this book. Having read Johnnie Cochran's second book, A Lawyer's Life, I assumed his first book would be much of the same. Rather than being redundant, Journey to Justice gave an exposition of the upbringing, tribulations and character formed inside the legal titan that led to his ultimate success as one of America's most respected advocates.

For a book to get five stars, in my view, it must have several attributes. The author must have engaging and magnetic prose that draws in the reader and does not relent until the last page of the last chapter has been turned. Second, the book must provide insight, otherwise it will suffice as a suitable pastime but not an unedifying one. Lastly, the literary work must be of great significance, usually historic in nature. While this may seem odd, it is the primary differentiating factor between a book that is considered great and one that is merely interesting but cannot be set apart from its contemporaries.

Cochran's Journey to Justice fulfilled all the aforementioned criteria for a five star book. The prose was eclectic and lilts along the reader through its chapters with levity and fluency. The insight in the tome lies with the fact that the machinations behind the O.J Simpson case are covered in detail. As for it's historic importance, given the fact that the O.J case was the longest running and most widely viewed legal trial in history, the book's first-hand account from the purview of the defendant's defense table can rightly be described as bearing historical import.

From Johnnie Cochran's humble upbringing to his selling insurance and, subsequently, slow start in law, the book shows how he climbed all obstacles before him. The author tells of his professional successes but also his personal torments, from his divorce to the loss of his guiding light, his mother. It ends with a thorough recounting of the defense's view of the O.J Simpson case. The book is written with the skill of a silver-tongued orator and the hope of a widely-successful advocate. It was a joy to read.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book at lot more than I thought I would. The majority of the book tells the story of the Cochran family origins, his life as a young boy, and continues through his rise to prominence in the LA legal community. Cochran's work defending victims of LAPD racism, families of black men slain by the same, and his work to remove the carotid choke hold from their repertoire is truly admirable. However, the tone changes once he begins describing his work on the O.J. trial. He offers no information I had not already known as an amateur Simpson scholar, and he offers absolutely no exculpatory evidence on behalf of Simpson. Yes, Cochran acted as a role of advocate in his defense of Simpson, but I can't help feeling that his defense came at the cost of the truth. Still, Cochran's early life and work as a young lawyer provided for an interesting read.

[Yasmin Shiraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people mistake Johnnie Cochran's significance to the OJ trial, but Mr. Cochran did so much for victims rights in the area of police brutality LONG BEFORE the Simpson trial. This book gives you real glimpse into what it was like fighting for the rights of victims throughout his career before he started defending celebrities...