Cochran to Co-Host Court TV Talk Show

Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., the Los Angeles attorney who became famous for his role in the defense of O.J. Simpson, has signed to co-host a live, nightly talk show on Court TV, executives at the cable channel said Monday.

The program will aim for “Crossfire”-style debate on serious legal issues. Cochran’s co-host will be Nancy Grace, an Atlanta prosecutor who specializes in cases involving violent crimes.

“Cochran & Grace” will be on weeknights at 7 (Pacific time), beginning Jan. 13, with a repeat each night at 10.

Cochran, 59, is expected to scale back his Los Angeles-based legal practice, dividing his time between Los Angeles and New York, where the show will be produced.

“This is going to be a serious, news-driven show,” Erik Sorenson, executive vice president of Court TV, said in an interview. “If we were on the air today, we’d be covering the Texaco [racial discrimination] case, Richard Jewell, the Supreme Court’s consideration of the right to die, the Jenny Jones talk-show case and other legal stories.”

A frequent talk-show guest, Cochran was wooed by CBS and NBC as a legal commentator. Sources said his Court TV contract is a three-year, multimillion-dollar deal.

Grace, 35, has been a legal commentator on the Simpson case and other trials for CNN, NBC and Court TV. She has compiled a perfect record of 55 convictions in Georgia--including several high-profile murder, rape and child molestation cases. She is resigning her position as special prosecutor in the Fulton County district attorney’s office to host the Court TV show.

In addition to interviewing participants in the stories they cover, Cochran and Grace will express their own opinions, Sorenson said.

Sorenson, who recently left CBS News to join Court TV, described Cochran and Grace as “polar opposites” in their personal styles and views on many legal issues.

“She thought O.J. Simpson was guilty and said so,” Sorenson said.

According to Sorenson, Grace decided to go to law school after the murder of her fiance 15 years ago in a random street crime. “She’s president of several victims’ rights organizations,” he said, “and she’s a hang-’em-high, let-’em-fry prosecutor. . . . [Cochran] is one of the best-known defense attorneys in the country. She’s a Southern, conservative woman; he’s an African American who lives in Los Angeles.”

On the show, Cochran may comment on the Simpson civil trial or other cases in which he has been involved. “As long as there’s full disclosure, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Sorenson said, adding, “this is not going to be a show about O.J. Simpson.”

Cochran was traveling on a book tour Monday and could not be reached for comment. But Sorenson said he believes that one of the factors motivating Cochran is to have an image beyond the Simpson case in the minds of the public.

“Most people I know believe that Cochran did a great job defending O.J. Simpson, regardless of their opinion on Simpson’s innocence or guilt,” the Court TV executive said. “But I think one of the reasons Johnnie is doing this show is that he doesn’t want to go down in history known only as the guy who defended O.J. He’s had a long history in civil rights and many other cases besides O.J. This show is a venue to talk about many other issues.”