Celebrities React to Cochran's Death

Reaction to the death of attorney Johnnie Cochran on Tuesday:

"I've got to say I don't think I'd be home today without Johnnie. I was innocent, but he believed it." — O.J. Simpson, whom Cochran successfully defended against murder charges in 1994.

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"The thing most people in the general public don't know is Johnnie could not only be very charming in front of a jury, he was also charming and funny on a personal level." — Marcia Clark, "Entertainment Tonight" special legal correspondent and prosecutor on O.J. Simpson murder trial.

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"Johnnie Cochran was a true gentleman who embodied class, brilliance, honesty and integrity. His fight for justice transcended color, age or economic status." — Michael Jackson, represented by Cochran in 1994 settlement to dismiss lawsuit filed by a 13-year-old boy who claimed the entertainer molested him.

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"He will forever be remembered as one of the very best advocates that black America has ever produced." — Tavis Smiley, television and radio talk show host.

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"He became the most prominent lawyer since Thurgood Marshall. He was the tallest tree in our forest, and we will miss him very much." — Rev. Jesse Jackson.

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"I would place him at the top of understanding the way juries think and what impresses them and what motivates them ... He was just a star at that." — David W. Burcham, dean of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, which was Cochran's alma mater.

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"He was a skilled trial lawyer who brought style and intellect to the courtroom. The justice system has lost a legal comet." — Steve Cooley, Los Angeles district attorney.