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The famed Los Angeles defense attorney, former prosecutor and behind-the-scenes political figure died from his brain tumor today, reportedly at home in Los Feliz. He was 67. He became most famous for getting O.J. Simpson a not guilty verdict, but Cochran had been tremendously respected in the L.A. legal community long before that. He considered his biggest victory not Simpson but getting framed Black Panther leader Geronimo Pratt freed from prison. The Times has an obit up by Carla Hall.
Warren Olney put together a strong lineup to talk about Cochran on Which Way, L.A.? at 7 p.m. on KCRW: Harland Braun, Connie Rice, Linda Deutsch, Ira Reiner, Stuart Hanlon and Cochran's personal attorney, Larry Feldman. Ex-DA Reiner called Cochran "The Natural" as a trial lawyer, longtime AP reporter Deutsch phoned in with reaction from O.J. Simpson, and fellow attorney Braun said that Cochran only reluctantly joined the Simpson case and lost his chance at a larger political role as a result.
* Updated and edited