Johnnie CochranCome on, I had your job. I know the drill. The police commission determined the officer acted in self-defence. The officers were scared. There were seven of them with guns up against one mentally ill woman with a knife.
Johnnie, I tried. You know all they had to claim was that their lives were in danger.
Johnnie Cochran
Danger. They shot her in the back. You know, it’s remarkable to me how many black folks get shot in the backside, while they… [mimes] attacking. Like they’re going backwards and forwards at the same time.
Johnnie Cochran
[conducting a TV interview] Yes, it’s a complex situation. But we must remember that he is a person not used to being arrested. He’s fragile, confused. Whenever I see a black man being chased by armed officers, my guard goes up.
IInterviewer
With all due respect, this is a… a possible killer who fled from the police.
Johnnie Cochran
Innocent until proven guilty. If the LAPD is involved, we should let history be our guiding principle. Time after time, the police shoot first and offer sloppy apologies afterwards. 30 years ago, a young man named Leonard Deadwyler was driving his pregnant wife to the hospital. She was about to give birth to their child. And that very same LAPD saw a black man driving too fast, and they did what they do. They shot and killed him. I represented Leonard’s family. It was one of my very first cases. Unfortunately, the first of many. It was a terrible thing. Leonard’s only crime: the colour of his skin.
So let’s hit the ground running. Okay, first question. Who thinks O.J. did it? [Everybody freezes and looks at him in shocked disbelief.] Me neither.
[Awkward silence]
Uh, thank you, Bob. Why don’t we talk big picture strategy? I’d say our priority at this juncture is the jury.
ADAlan Dershowitz
Yes. We know we have a downtown jury, which means a heavy concentration of African Americans.
Johnnie Cochran
Indeed. Black men obviously are our allies. Mr. Simpson, a hero in the community. And I’m confident that people will assume he couldn’t have committed such a ghastly crime. But black women, on the other hand, might be a problem. They don’t like their men marrying white girls.
Why’re you looking at me?
[Shawn laughs at his discomfort]
Johnnie Cochran
But I believe the generalization is accurate. Black women resent successful black men marrying outside the community. We need to limit that group.
That analysis is smart. The prosecution thinks they have the upper hand, but they don’t. Because we have you. And you know how these people think.
[Johnnie gives him another disbelieving look. Lee and Dershowitz visibly cringe with embarrassment, and Barry Scheck buries his face in his hands. Cochran’s team merely looks amused]
Johnnie Cochran
“These people?” Bob, let me give you a helpful piece of advice. On this case, you need to choose your vernacular very, very carefully.
[raising his palms] Mea culpa.
Johnnie Cochran
[to O.J.] Have you forgotten who you are? These walls around you don’t change that. You know what you mean to people? [O.J. does not answer] Okay. Well, then let me tell you what you were once to me. 1978, I just left private practice, gone back to the LA D.A. Gonna be the first black assistant attorney in office. Gonna change things from the inside. Shit… That wasn’t happening. Same old shit, same rigged system. Feeling powerless for the first time in my life. And then my first marriage blows up in my face. My children won’t talk to me. I’m a failure at work. I’m a failure at home. I was down, brother. I was way down. Sunday, sitting on my bed, surrounded by dead-end paperwork and divorce lawyer bills, drinking beer – all right, maybe a little too much beer – feeling sorry for myself, watching a football game, all alone. Crappy TV. 49ers vs the Falcons. What I saw you do on that field, that day, somehow, as I was watching, it became as if you were running for me. Driving up that field, crowded with adversity and obstacles, getting knocked on your ass, and then popping right back up again! See, that’s what I wanted to do out there on them streets, back home with my troubles there but couldn’t. But you, you, you… You willed what you needed to do into being, with nothing but grace.
I scored a touchdown that day.
Johnnie Cochran
You did. And when they cut away to the commercial, there you were again, leaping through the airport for Hertz, breaking another barrier with charisma, humor, intelligence. A black man as the public face for one of the world’s biggest corporations.
Johnnie Cochran
I don’t remember that. I remember everything about that game, but not that, because it didn’t have nothing to do with what touched me. And when the game was over, I got the hell up off that bed, and jogged the six blocks back to my office, and got right back to work, and haven’t stopped and wallowed in self-pity since that day. You did that for me. Just like you’ve done for so many others. Because you are O.J. Simpson. You are O.J. Simpson, and you are an inspiration.
Your Honor, Detective Fuhrman’s gonna play a very small role in this case, but we believe when he’s called to the stand, we’re gonna be forced to go back 15 odd years to ask him about completely irrelevant statements that people have claimed he’s made. These statements are racially insensitive and divisive. The question is: why bring them up? They’re gonna ask him if he made a racial slur or repeated a racial epithet. But why ask? There’s no legal purpose for it. But Mr. Cochran and the defence have a purpose for entering this area, and that purpose is to inflame the passions of the Jury and ask them to pick sides. The – the “N” word is a dirty, filthy word, Your Honor. It is so prejudicial and inflammatory, that the use of it in any situation will evoke an emotional response from any African-American. We’re talking about a word that blinds people. When you mention that word to this Jury, it will blind them to the truth. They won’t be able to discern what’s true and what’s not. It will impair their judgement. It will affect their ability to be fair. It’ll force the black jurors to make a choice: whose side are you on? The Man? Or the Brothers?
[whispering to Shawn] Is he serious?
So, the People strongly urge the court, respectfully, not to allow that vile word to be uttered at any time during this trial.
[He takes his seat]
Johnnie Cochran
Your Honor, I did not plan to speak on this matter, but I would be remiss if I did not respond to my good friend, Mr. Chris Darden. [gets up and takes the stand] Mr. Darden’s remarks this afternoon are perhaps the most incredible remarks I’ve heard in a court of law in my 32 years of practice. His remarks are deeply demeaning to African-Americans. And so, first and foremost, Your Honor, I would like to apologise to African-Americans across this country. It is preposterous to say that African-Americans collectively are so emotionally unstable that they cannot hear offensive words without losing their moral sense of right and wrong. They live with offensive words, offensive looks, offensive treatment every day! And so, Your Honor, I am ashamed that Mr. Darden would allow himself to become an apologist for Mark Fuhrman. [Chris gets to his feet, but Johnnie continues] Who are any of us to testify as an expert as to what words black people can or cannot handle!? Your Honor, across America, believe you me, African-Americans are offended at this very moment. And so, for a friend that I deeply respect, I would say that this was… outlandish, unfortunate, and unwarranted. Thank you, Your Honor. [quietly, to Chris] Nigga, please.
Johnnie Cochran
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” And so here… we embark upon a search for justice. A search for truth. None of us were there on June 12th, 1994. We must rely upon the witnesses to get a full picture. But let me talk about those witnesses the prosecution didn’t mention. Witnesses who will exonerate O.J. Simpson. One might wonder why the prosecution didn’t bring to your attention: Mary Anne Gerchas. Or Rosa Lopez. [Marcia and Bill go from confused to somewhat agitated, and Bill starts flicking through his notes] Or Joe Stellini. Or Alan Austin. Or…
[Bill leaps to his feet and interrupts him]
BHBill Hodgman
[quickly, in obvious agitation] Your Honor, I hesitate to interrupt another lawyer’s opening statement, but it appears that, for some reason, these witnesses have not been turned over to the People!
[There is murmuring in the gallery. Ito bangs his gavel for silence]
All right. Maybe we should excuse the Jury. Bailiff? [the Jury are escorted out, while Marcia tries to calm Bill] Mr. Hodgman?
BHBill Hodgman
Your Honor, what is this? Opening statement by – by ambush!? This is a complete surprise, A-a horrible breakdown. The People have not received reciprocal discovery!
[to Cochran] Counsel, can you address these issues?
I will, I will try, Your Honor.
I have to say, Mr. Douglas, I’ve known Mr. Hodgman as a colleague and as a trial lawyer, and I’ve never seen the expression on his face that I see right now. Mr. Hodgman, why don’t you take a few deep breaths?
[Johnnie Cochran is preparing to call his witness, Ms. Rosa Lopez, out of order. The previous day, Marcia had been forced to concede because of her personal childcare issues]
Mr. Cochran, is Ms. Lopez present here today?
Johnnie Cochran
She is, Your Honor.
And do you anticipate that we can hear what she has to say in one day?
Johnnie Cochran
I would expect so, Your Honor, barring any acts of God, or further childcare crisises from Ms. Clark.
[O.J. chuckles to himself, but an outraged Marcia gets to her feet]
Your Honor. I am offended by Mr. Cochran’s remarks, as a woman, and as a mother. Mr. Cochran may not know what it’s like to work a 70-hour work week and also take care of a family, but I do. And many other people do, too. To belittle my childcare issues in your courtroom is unconscionable and totally out of line.
[Discussing Juror #462’s accusation against her husband of physically abusing her, which she did not disclose]
Johnnie Cochran
As she said, this was simply a misunderstanding.
Johnnie Cochran
She didn’t lie. She said…
She said no to the question “have you ever been a victim of domestic violence?” Her husband raped her twice.
Actually, it wasn’t legally rape in ’88. [Darden frowns in confusion] I mean, between a husband and wife.
[Ito rolls his eyes, while Marcia stares at Bailey in disbelief]
You just said that. Out loud.
All right, so let me get this straight. The defence is arguing to keep a victim of domestic abuse, and the People are arguing to dismiss her? Somehow, I get the idea if this juror were white, we’d be having a different conversation right now. I have no choice but to dismiss #462.
[After the hearing regarding Ito’s suitability results in a further delay, the Defence team enter a lift together]
Johnnie Cochran
Gotta wait for this judge to get a “comprehensive understanding.” How long? Things cannot be left to whim.
Cochran, you have to trust the system.
Johnnie Cochran
We need to turn up the pressure.
[losing his temper, he rounds on him] PRESSURE!? YOU WANNA TURN UP THE PRESSURE!? THIS CITY IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE! WE HAVE ENOUGH PRESSURE!
[In their own lift, Marcia and Chris are standing in an awkward silence. Eventually, Chris loses his temper and throws his briefcase to the floor before rounding on Marcia]
CDChristoper Darden
I told you not to use Fuhrman! Now how many times did I say it? “He’s damaged goods,” I mean, I said it, and I said it, but you just didn’t take me seriously. You know, you put me on this trial because you wanted a black face, but the truth is, you never wanted a black voice.
Johnnie Cochran
Truth, Ms. Clark. The truth. The court hides nothing from the people! Nothing!
[Chris loses his temper, slams his hand on the desk, leaps to his feet and rounds on Johnnie]
CDChristoper Darden
The truth? You’ve presented a defence that is based completely on lies and deceptions! Just teasing the public, the media, by throwing them bits of the tapes. Inflaming the public’s passions, in an attempt to exert political pressure over His Honor… [Ito raises his hand] In an attempt to pressure the court into admitting in the Fuhrman tapes!
CDChristoper Darden
[To Ito] This case is a circus! And the defence has made it into a circus! And the court has allowed them to walk all over…
Mr. Darden, you are close to being held in contempt!
CDChristoper Darden
Well, I should be held in contempt! [The defence team starts laughing at this, but are immediately startled into silence] There’s nothing funny here!
Johnnie Cochran
[softly, with some concern in his voice] Chris, calm down.
CDChristoper Darden
Don’t.
Mr. Darden! MR. DARDEN! I am warning you. A good piece of advice – take three deep breaths, then contemplate what you are about to say next.
[There is a long silence, as everyone stares at him apprehensively]
I would like counsel, Your Honor.
[after a brief pause, during which everyone reacts with dismay] All right, Mr. Darden, you can have counsel. Do you wish to call your counsel at this time, Mr. Darden?
[Chris sits and locks eyes pleadingly with Marcia, who after a moment gets to her feet]
I would like to be heard on behalf of Mr. Darden, Your Honor.
Ms. Clark, do you represent Mr. Darden in this matter?
I don’t know if I’m legally entitled to, but I would like to be heard. Mr. Darden is simply responding to the unfair events that have occurred in this courtroom today, and other days. The court has been exploited, by counsel for cross-purposes.
Ms. Clark, I think perhaps you need to take ten deep breaths, for you also are about to be held in contempt.
Shall I take off my watch and jewellery?
[Everyone looks shocked by this remark. Chris tenderly takes her hand, and guides her down. After they exchange a long glance, Chris gets to his feet again]
Your Honor? Perhaps some of my comments may have been, um, uh, somewhat inappropriate. I apologise the to the court. I meant no disrespect.
All right, Mr. Darden. I accept your apology. I apologise to you for my reaction as well. You and I have known each other for a number of years, and I know that your response was out of character, so thank you.
Johnnie Cochran
[upon encountering Chris in a hallway] Chris? Got a minute? [Puts his briefcase down] I… I appreciate how hard you fought. Especially that closing. This was war. And you did a superb job. I respect that. I… I know how difficult this has been on you. And when the dust settles… I’d like to help bring you back into the community.
[coldly] Hmm. Well, I never left. You think I don’t understand the situation? I get it. It’s payback. O.J.’s the first black defendant in history to get off because he’s black.
Johnnie Cochran
The people will see who the police really are…
All the people saw was how well you can twist the system. This isn’t some civil rights milestone. Police in this country will keep arresting us, keep beating us, keep killing us. You haven’t changed anything for black people here. Unless, of course, you’re a famous rich one in Brentwood.
[He pats his shoulder and leaves]
American Crime Story · 38 quotes
