Bobby Lee Cook (February 12, 1927 – February 19, 2021)
was an American defense attorney from
Summerville, Georgia
Summerville is a city and the county seat of Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,534 at the 2010 census.
History
Summerville was founded in 1838 as the seat of the newly formed Chattooga County. It was incorporated as ...
, in
Chattooga County
Chattooga County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,965. According to the World Population Review, as of 2021, it is estimated at 24,803. The county seat is ...
.
[Curriden, Mark:]
Bobby Lee Cook
, ABA Journal
The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...
. March 2009. Accessed July 8, 2011. He had practiced law since the late 1940s, and is known for combining a sharp legal mind with a folksy demeanor. He had represented a wide variety of clients, from rural Southerners to international businessmen and corporations. He was reputed to have been the inspiration for the television series ''
Matlock'' main character
Ben Matlock
Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visiting ...
, which starred
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, southern gospel singer and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characte ...
as a Georgia attorney.
Early life and education
Cook was born in 1927 in
Lyerly, Georgia. He attended
Vanderbilt University Law School
Vanderbilt University Law School (also known as Vanderbilt Law School or VLS) is a graduate school of Vanderbilt University. Established in 1874, it is one of the oldest law schools in the southern United States. Vanderbilt Law School has consiste ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. He practiced law in Summerville with the Cook & Connelly law firm.
Career
Cook had been a defense attorney for over 65 years. He recalled a time of racial prejudice when African Americans were "required to sit in the balcony of old courtrooms". He described it as "a most unusual, extraordinary time. It was a time when no women sat on juries, and certainly no blacks".
Cook was estimated to have won 80% of his murder trials and has "estimated his annual net income at $1 million".
Death
Bobby Lee Cook died on February 19, 2021, aged 94.
Significant cases
*Represented
Wayne Williams
Wayne Bertram Williams (born May 27, 1958) is an American convicted murderer and suspected serial killer who is serving life imprisonment for the 1981 killing of two men in Atlanta, Georgia. Although never tried, he is nonetheless believed to be ...
, who appealed against his 1982 conviction for the murder of two black youths in what was known as the
Atlanta Child Murders
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
*Represented Troy L. Griffith Jr., star
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for
Trion High School
Trion High School is a public high school located in Trion, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Trion City School District in Chattooga County.
The school was built in 1938 by L.C. "Sadd" Dalton. The original location was beside the Trion ...
,
Trion, Georgia
Trion is a town in Chattooga County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,960 at the 2020 census, down from 1,827 at the 2010 census. Trion is the second-largest incorporated community in Chattooga County, which has a population of appr ...
.
*1986—Defended Tennessee banker
C.H. Butcher Jr., who faced 25 counts of fraud. Butcher was acquitted on all counts.
*1988—Represented former
Auburn University
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
All-American football star
Bobby Hoppe
Robert Hoppe (November 13, 1934 – April 7, 2008) was an American football halfback who played on the 1957 National Championship team at Auburn University.
Early life
Hoppe attended and played high school football at Chattanooga Central High S ...
, who was charged with murder in a 1957 shooting. Jurors deadlocked 10-2 for acquittal. The case was never retried.
*1989—Defended
Jim Williams during the first trial (of four) for the 1981 shooting death of
Danny Hansford. The case was the inspiration for the book ''
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...
'' by
John Berendt
John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction.
Biography
Ber ...
, published in 1994. Williams was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison, although appealed, posting a $200,000 bond. Cook later received, anonymously, a copy of the police report showing the arresting officer contradicted himself, and the verdict was overturned. A new trial was ordered.
Notable quotes
"If you can
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
a bad man to prison, you can railroad a good man."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Bobby Lee
1927 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers
People from Chattooga County, Georgia
People from Summerville, Georgia
Vanderbilt University Law School alumni