The Cochran Firm is one of the nations largest personal injury & medical malpractice law firms with some of the most aggressive personal injury attorneys. LOS ANGELES Famed attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. (search), who became a household name when he defended O.J. (END VIDEO CLIP) KING: The night after the Simpson decision, Johnnie guested on this show. This is animation of the brain, sort of looking at it from the behind, as you can see there. D. COCHRAN: He's still living. Yet more controversy followed the lawyer when items from his personal life were publicly revealed. Here's the ear. The trial of the century, as it was dubbed, began in January 1995 and was among the most publicized in history, followed by millions around the world. He meant everything to me. If that makes sense to you, then, (according to an electrical occupational engineer with whom I spoke) you can minimize risk by doing any or all of the following: Turn off your cell phone when not in useNever sleep with your cell phone in the bedroomAvoid using your cell phone (or keeping it turned on) in the car, or for that matter, any other self-enclosed metal container If you feel your head heating up, end the call (even if you're speaking to your beloved, boss, or mother)Use some form of headphone or earjack but not a blue tooth, which places the transistor right in your earLive in an area out of reach of cell phone service, And hey, let's not forget mobile telephones, internet wireless, and all those other technological goodies we've gotten so addicted to that life wouldn't be complete without them. So surgery, at least to try to remove all of the tumor that we could see on the MRI scan, was not one of the initial treatment options. As a youth, Cochran idolize Thurgood Marshall, the attorney who persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to outlaw school segregation in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision and who would eventually become the Supreme Court's first black justice. KING: So do Dale and Dr. Black think there's a link between cell phones and Johnnie Cochran's brain tumor? BLACK: I KING: I said Dane and it's Dale. D. COCHRAN: Well, I think it's an enigma. GUPTA: Yes, I think so. Hardly anyone ever reads these safety manuals. D. COCHRAN: Yes, you were. D. COCHRAN: He died at home. Before doing that, I do agree with you. They don't recommend carrying a phone in your breast pocket. He's the head of that. And there are 16 really good studies out there, a few since 2000. You know, it's the antenna for the cell phone that is the source for the microwave energy. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it is conclusive that it can cause brain tumors, then I think there should be some sort of a warning. KING: Now, I'm told that -- I'm not an expert on this so I'm going to read it. Sanjay is over by our board. More power to them. WebPortrayed by. While Cochran never argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, a case involving him is on the docket this session. He used cell phones quite a lot. His client list included former "Diff'rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Michael Jackson (search), who is now facing child molestation charges, and former football great Simpson. KING: Dale, did you know he was terminal? For young kids out there, it's a great career. It's not uncommon in science to have conflicting articles. WebLindstrom visits the Burns house to return Gracie's gloves that she left on the train. He's 91- years-old, I'm pleased to say. I think that cell phones are not risk-free. And, again, you know, although there hasn't been any definitive studies, there have been some studies that show a correlation between the side that you use a cell phone on and the side that you use KING: If it's the left side, you're going to get it on the left side? We want to do everything we can to find out if there is a link. It sort of drops off in terms of the amount of radiation you're exposed to. During the early 1980s, he oversaw a settlement for the family of African American football player Ron Settles, who died in a police cell under questionable circumstances. And the FDA also recommends keeping cell phones away from your head by using a speaker phone or using a head set or other connection to remote antenna. But -- and that's been one of the red flags that has raised concerns among people that are looking into this, whether there is a correlation because, you know, we see tumors developing in the location -- close to the location that people do use cell phones. He attracted famous clients like .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Michael Jackson and led O. J. Simpson's defense team in the 1995 murder trial. 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. KING: Louis, would it be a simple solution, everyone should use an ear phone? Cell phones give off non-ionizing radiation. DR. VINI KHURANA, NEUROSURGEON, THE CANBERRA HOSPITAL: I base it on the fact, Larry, that at this point in time, there's just over three billion users of cell phones worldwide. They had performed some studies, MRI scans. The following decade, Cochran won a huge, unprecedented court payment for a 13-year-old molested by an officer. You can see it here. Simpson was found not guilty of murder. THUN: I think that what's still in question is the acoustic neuromas. KING: On a regular basis, every day? KING: And how far has the -- SLESIN: What we're missing is the understanding of how this could possibly work. What is that? WebAccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average time between first exposure to a cancer-causing agent and clinical recognition of the disease KING: Dr. Khurana, how would you respond? So that -- you know, that option wasn't one of the weapons that we could use to fight the tumor. For more health information and action on health policy, sign on at: www.health-journalist.com. I would not want to be a heavy user of a mobile phone. 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. (The conviction was eventually overturned after more than two decades. KING: Thanks, Sanjay. BLACK: That's considered, you know, a significant increase, although the overall incidence of brain cancer is low. 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. So we don't know what long-term effects that will have on memory as our young adults age and other KING: So this is a cause of concern? So we're not just talking about tumors, and I was not just implying brain tumors, but there are other health effects. What do you make of it? So my point is this, that, you know, if you read the studies alone, they'll say they're safe. In an interview with the New York Post last September, he said, "I'm feeling pretty good" and described himself as "90 percent" improved. Yet we know that we do. Do you see, Dale, as a lay person, the possibility of cell phone use and Johnnie's illness? "I didn't know too much about what a lawyer did or how he worked, but I knew that if one man could cause this great stir, then the law must be a wondrous thing," Cochran said in his book. Another neurosurgeon joins us. Family members and colleagues of the legal KING: Meaning? 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. I started researching it and really understanding it. Jeff and Laura, your prizes are in the mail. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. But there is a concern out there and I think people need to be careful. KING: Do you use cell phones, Dana? The precautionary principle is a fancy version of the old (unproven) adage "better safe than sorry.". Cochran, displaying his trademark style, came to lead the team, with some conflict rising among the attorneys amidst sensational proceedings. And that's what we've done. We know that brain tumors are the number one cancer killer among children in the United States and the second most common form of cancer in kids. At times it was a lot of fun," he said of the lampooning he received. Cochran is survived by his second wife, Dale Mason; his son, Jonathan Cochran, from a prior relationship; his daughters Tiffany Cochran Edwards and Melodie Cochran, from his first marriage; and sisters Pearl Baker and Martha Jean Sherrard. The main point is that if one is concerned about the emissions from cell phones, you can get rid of it almost entirely by a Bluetooth or ear plug. DR. MICHAEL THUN, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: The way I think the best way to look at this is keep an open mind, but also be very aware of what we know and what we don't know. And his doctor says cell phones may have played a part in his disease. Each of you gets a pair of my suspenders autographed by every "American Idol" finalist. KING: We all liked Johnnie. I'm sorry. Attorney at law. Take a look at this thing, it's just huge. And, you know, I think, for the most part, people watching who use a cell phone will be just fine. KING: Like Ted Kennedy had? It's heating the brain. 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. Until the research has been done, it would be presumptuous to make a judgment call. And so we have a situation with a widely used technology in which we don't have very, very long-term follow-up, and we don't have very long-term follow-up of kids. KING: But that was not a death signal? GUPTA: It's a trip down memory lane, if you will. I mean I've spent the last year sort of really reading this. His family was by his side and he had been in a hospice, Epps said. KING: How do children's phones, Dr. Black, differ from -- children's brains, rather, differ from adults? Often times, these phone come with a holster. KING: Dr. Black will be returning. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cigarettes have surgeon generals warning on them. ", In "Lethal Weapon 4," comedian Chris Rock plays a policeman who advises a criminal suspect he has a right to an attorney, then warns him: "If you get Johnnie Cochran, I'll kill you. 'S 91- years-old, I think, for the cell phone that is acoustic! Gloves that she left on the train: it 's an enigma Cochran, displaying his trademark style came! 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