Grant Cooper (attorney)
Encyclopedia
Grant B. Cooper was the chief defense attorney in the murder trial against Sirhan Sirhan
for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
. Sirhan's more recent counsel has accused Cooper of deliberately throwing the Sirhan case as the result of a then-pending indictment against Cooper for possessing stolen transcripts of the grand jury proceedings in the Beverly Hills Friar's Club
card cheating case. Cooper, who faced the possibility of jail time, was eventually fined $1000. Cooper died in 1990 of an aortic aneurysm
.
co-founder Tsien Hsue-shen
against charges of being a communist
and facing deportation
to China
and representing mob-boss Johnny Roselli in the Friar's Club case.
Cooper has also represented several Hollywood actors, including Lynne Baggett for homicide, Joan Bennett
, and Shirley Temple
in her divorce from John Agar
.
.
Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is a Jordanian citizen who was convicted for the assassination of United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He is serving a life sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California.Sirhan was a Christian Arab born in Jerusalem who strongly opposed Israel...
for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
. Sirhan's more recent counsel has accused Cooper of deliberately throwing the Sirhan case as the result of a then-pending indictment against Cooper for possessing stolen transcripts of the grand jury proceedings in the Beverly Hills Friar's Club
Friars Club of Beverly Hills
The Friars Club of Beverly Hills was a private show business club started in 1947 by comedian/actor Milton Berle, among other celebrities who had moved from New York. It was forced to change its name in 2007 after losing a lawsuit with the New York Friars' Club, and later closed...
card cheating case. Cooper, who faced the possibility of jail time, was eventually fined $1000. Cooper died in 1990 of an aortic aneurysm
Aortic aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location...
.
Notable cases
Cooper was probably most famous for his role as the lead attorney for Sirhan Sirhan, but his legal battles included many famous cases and people. His cases included defending JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
co-founder Tsien Hsue-shen
Tsien Hsue-shen
Qian Xuesen was a scientist who made important contributions to the missile and space programs of both the United States and People's Republic of China. Historical documents in the U. S. commonly refer to him with the earlier family-name last spelling, Hsue-Shen Tsien or H.S...
against charges of being a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and facing deportation
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
to China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and representing mob-boss Johnny Roselli in the Friar's Club case.
Cooper has also represented several Hollywood actors, including Lynne Baggett for homicide, Joan Bennett
Joan Bennett
Joan Geraldine Bennett was an American stage, film and television actress. Besides acting on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 motion pictures from the era of silent movies well into the sound era...
, and Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple
Shirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia...
in her divorce from John Agar
John Agar
John George Agar was an American actor. He starred alongside John Wayne in the films Sands of Iwo Jima, Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, but was later relegated to B movies, such as Tarantula, The Mole People, The Brain from Planet Arous, Flesh and the Spur, and Hand of Death...
.
Titles
From 1962 to 1963, Cooper was the President of the American College of Trial LawyersAmerican College of Trial Lawyers
The American College of Trial Lawyers is a professional association of trial lawyers from the United States and Canada. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession...
.