friend Ronald Goldman. When Simpson asked
Cochran to join a team of lawyers (dubbed the
“Dream Team” by reporters), Cochran did not im-
mediately accept. Instead, he spent time analyzing
television broadcasts and studying print media
about the case. Cochran was enraged by circum-
stances surrounding the case: a misuse of power,
overt discrimination, dishonesty, and corruption.
Cochran and the defense team argued that the
LAPD had planted evidence against Simpson. A
bloody glove, which was found at the scene of the
murders, had been allegedly worn by Simpson, ac-
cording to information provided by LAPD detec-
tives to the prosecution, but the glove did not fit.
During his closing argument, the charismatic
Cochran repeated the now famous refrain, “If it
doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” and Simpson was
cleared of charges.
Two years later, Cochran stood beside his friend
and client, former Black Panther leader Geronimo
Pratt, when his murder conviction was finally over-
turned.
Impact For Cochran, the O. J. Simpson trial clearly
signaled the absence of justice; he was reminded of
atrocious acts that, to him, defined the LAPD. Best
known for his successful defense in this case,
Cochran fought for victims of police abuse and was
called the “people’s lawyer” by the Reverend Jesse
Jackson.
Further Reading
Cochran, Johnnie L., with David Fisher.A Lawyer’s
Life. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2002.
Cochran, Johnnie L., with Tim Rutten.Journey to Jus-
tice.New York: Ballantine, 1996.
Maddox, Alton H., Jr. “What You Need to Know
About Johnnie Cochran.” New York Amsterdam
News96, no. 15 (April 7, 2005): 12-40.
AnnMarie Depas-Orange
See also African Americans; Crime; King, Rodney;
Los Angeles riots; Police brutality; Race relations;
Simpson murder case.
Coen brothers
Identification American film writer/producer/
director team
Born Joel Coen, November 29, 1954;
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ethan Coen,
September 21, 1957; Minneapolis, Minnesota
During the 1990’s, the Coen brothers brought a quirky, lit-
erate, ironic, and often shocking sensibility to their unique
versions of American genre films, especially the screwball
comedy and the film noir.
The sons of an academic couple, Joel and Ethan
Coen were raised in a Jewish suburb of Minneapolis.
At an early age, the brothers developed an interest in
popular culture and in making their own versions of
Hollywood movies. After graduating from the alter-
native high school/college at Simon’s Rock, the pair
attended New York University, where Joel studied
film and Ethan philosophy. Several years of appren-
tice film work preceded their startling, self-financed
debut feature,Blood Simple(1984), which won the
Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.The Nineties in America Coen brothers 205
The filmmaking duo Ethan (left) and Joel Coen, who directed
the thrillerFargo, laugh as they pose at the 1996 Cannes Film
Festival.(AP/Wide World Photos)