Gill Cochran, Esq.
Senior Member
Gill Cochran is the senior member of Cochran and Chhabra, LLC. He founded the practice after working with the public defender’s office for seven years. Mr. Cochran primarily focuses on criminal defense and serious traffic matters.
Mr. Cochran served as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. During his time in combat, he decided that practicing law was much more fun. Mr. Cochran is a recovering alcoholic. He believes it allows him to understand the issues surrounding addiction, which then enables him to know the whole client and find a better solution.
Mr. Cochran is also an amateur magician, and he often greets his clients with a few magic tricks. He does these to relax the client, and also to show what carefully crafted magic can do. He says one has to do a trick at least 1,000 times to be effective. In court, one has to do it at least 10,000 times to be equally good.
Mr. Cochran has made significant case law in his extensive career. Most notably, in 1986 in Brosan v. Cochran, 307 Md. 662, he established the First and Fourth Amendment right of an attorney to administer a breath test prior to a police administered breath test.
Mr. Cochran received the award for Leading Attorney from What’s Up Magazine.
Mr. Cochran’s writings include, “Nuts & Bolts: The DUI/DWI Case,” Trial Reporter – Journal of the Maryland Association for Justice, Trial Lawyers Organization, 2011, which is a basic summary of issues that can occur in a Maryland DUI/DWI case. The article includes trial tactics and tips, as well. He collaborated with Mandeep Chhabra on this matter.
He is actively involved in the legal community. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association; the Anne Arundel County Bar Association; the Maryland Association for Justice; the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association; the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Mr. Cochran received his Bachelors of Arts from Yale University in 1964. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1970, and graduated with honors. Mr. Cochran currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife, Eileen, cat, Dusty, and dog, Lilly. They actively participate in the Annapolis Yacht Club Regatta Series. He sails his Hershoff Sloop along with his dog regularly.
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Practice Areas:
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DWI/DUI, Criminal Law, Traffic Law, Forfeiture Law, Personal Injury, Civil Litigation
Admitted:
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1970 Maryland Bar
1970 U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland – 4th Circuit
1970 U.S. Court of Appeals
Education:
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1970 University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, MD
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Juris Doctorate – With Honors
1964 Yale University, BA
Memberships & Affiliations:
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Maryland State Bar Association
Anne Arundel County Bar Association
Maryland Trial Lawyers Association
Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
American Civil Liberties Union
Representative Cases:
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U.S. v. Mikalajunas, 936 F.2d 153 (4th Cir. 1991): Federal Sentencing Guidelines; establishing that points should not be added for “restraint” in a murder case
Michaels v. Nemethvargo, 82 Md. App. 294 (1990): Establishing the right of parents to obtain damages and attorneys fees from a person who employs their minor child for criminal acts
Brosan v. Cochran, 307 Md. 662 (1986): Establishing the First and Fourteenth Amendment right of an attorney to administer a breath test prior to a police administered breath test
Ford v. Ford, 307 Md. 105 (1986): Establishing the right of an insane slayer to inherit the victim’s property
Pollard v. State, 339 Md. 233 (1995): Establishing that the Circuit Court has discretion to reinstate a defendant’s criminal de novo appeal which had been dismissed because the defendant failed to appear
Awards:
| Name | Granting Organization | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Lawyers: 2013 | Super Lawyers | 2013 | |
| Leading Attorney | What’s Up Magazine (Annapolis) | 2012 |  |
| Leading Attorney | What’s Up Magazine (Annapolis) | 2011 |  |
| Leading Attorney | What’s Up Magazine (Annapolis) | 2010 |  |
| Leading Attorney | What’s Up Magazine (Annapolis) | 2009 |  |
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