Cathy Cochran
Encyclopedia
Cathleen Cochran Herasimchuk (born November 11, 1944) is a Republican
Judge
of the Texas
court of last resort for criminal cases, the Court of Criminal Appeals
, having been appointed to the Court by Governor
Rick Perry
in 2001 and re-elected to the Court by Texas voters in 2002 and 2008.
, Cochran earned her Bachelor of Arts
degree in English
with distinction
from Stanford University
in 1966. That same year, she married David Herasimchuk, whom she had met at Stanford. Initially she took his surname
of Herasimchuk as her married name
. In October 2001, however, at the urging of her husband and friends, she changed back to her maiden name
of Cochran in order to run for re-election to the Court because the name was easier to pronounce; at that point her husband changed his name to Cochran, too. They have two daughters and reside in Austin, Texas
.
After their marriage, the couple moved from California to Peru
, where David's parents lived. They then moved to Boston
, so he could attend Harvard Business School
. After David graduated, he worked for Global Marine, an offshore drilling
company, so they moved to Los Angeles
, Houston in 1976, Venezuela
in 1978, and back to Houston in 1980.
and earned her Juris Doctor
degree with summa cum laude
honors in 1984 from the University of Houston Law Center
, where she served as editor-in-chief of the law review
, was elected to both the Order of the Coif
and the Order of the Barons honor societies
, and won the school's Distinguished Service Award.
Serving as a professor
in evidence
, criminal law
, and criminal procedure
at the University of Houston Law Center, Cochran won the Professor of the Year award twice from the Order of the Barons and once from the student bar association
. She also served as general editor of the 2nd edition of the Texas Rules of Evidence
Handbook, published in 1993, and as author and editor of the 3rd edition, published in 1998.
to Rusty Gardin & Associates in Houston until leaving to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris
and Fort Bend
Counties, prosecuting 45 cases and authoring more than 200 appellate briefs.
Serving as Director of Criminal Justice
in the policy office of Governor
George W. Bush
, Cochran advised Bush on criminal justice policy and judicial appointments. During her service in his office, she formed the Advisory Committee to Revise Code of Criminal Procedure that organized a complete rewriting of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
Appointed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
in 2001 by Republican
Governor
Rick Perry
, Cochran won the support of 63% of Texas voters for a full six-year term. The Criminal Justice Section of the Texas State Bar
named her Jurist of the Year in 2006. In 2008, 82% of Texas voters supported her re-election to another six-year term.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
court of last resort for criminal cases, the Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
, having been appointed to the Court by Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
in 2001 and re-elected to the Court by Texas voters in 2002 and 2008.
Education and marriage
Born in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Cochran earned her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
with distinction
Distinction
*Distinction may refer to:* Distinction is a social force that places different values on different individuals....
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1966. That same year, she married David Herasimchuk, whom she had met at Stanford. Initially she took his surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
of Herasimchuk as her married name
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
. In October 2001, however, at the urging of her husband and friends, she changed back to her maiden name
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
of Cochran in order to run for re-election to the Court because the name was easier to pronounce; at that point her husband changed his name to Cochran, too. They have two daughters and reside in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
After their marriage, the couple moved from California to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, where David's parents lived. They then moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, so he could attend Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. After David graduated, he worked for Global Marine, an offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
company, so they moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Houston in 1976, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in 1978, and back to Houston in 1980.
Legal and academic career
After returning to Houston, Cochran enrolled in law schoolLaw school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
and earned her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree with summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
honors in 1984 from the University of Houston Law Center
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
, where she served as editor-in-chief of the law review
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
, was elected to both the Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
and the Order of the Barons honor societies
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
, and won the school's Distinguished Service Award.
Serving as a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
, criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
, and criminal procedure
Criminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
at the University of Houston Law Center, Cochran won the Professor of the Year award twice from the Order of the Barons and once from the student bar association
Student Bar Association
Student bar associations are student organizations that exist at many laws schools in the United States. Student bar associations take their name from bar associations, which are professional bodies of lawyers....
. She also served as general editor of the 2nd edition of the Texas Rules of Evidence
Rules of evidence
Rules of evidence govern whether, when, how, and for what purpose, proof of a legal case may be placed before a trier of fact for consideration....
Handbook, published in 1993, and as author and editor of the 3rd edition, published in 1998.
Judicial career
Cochran served as of counselOf counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to Rusty Gardin & Associates in Houston until leaving to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
and Fort Bend
Fort Bend County, Texas
Fort Bend County is a county located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. In 2000 its population was 354,452, while the 2010 U.S...
Counties, prosecuting 45 cases and authoring more than 200 appellate briefs.
Serving as Director of Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
in the policy office of Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Cochran advised Bush on criminal justice policy and judicial appointments. During her service in his office, she formed the Advisory Committee to Revise Code of Criminal Procedure that organized a complete rewriting of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
Appointed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in the State of Texas, United States. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges....
in 2001 by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
, Cochran won the support of 63% of Texas voters for a full six-year term. The Criminal Justice Section of the Texas State Bar
State Bar of Texas
The State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Bar is responsible for assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas...
named her Jurist of the Year in 2006. In 2008, 82% of Texas voters supported her re-election to another six-year term.