Repeatedly harassing his ex-wife earned Thaddeus Clayton Cochran a year in jail. Cochran entered the Madison municipal courtroom shackled and left shackled after Judge Jim Streetman found him guilty of disorderly conduct, trespass, and stalking. Ironically, it was the same courtroom where another Clayton, "Constitutional" Clayton Kelly, first faced justice in the 2014 Senate race nursing home scandal. Cochran is the son of the late Senator Thad Cochran.
Madison police arrested Cochran on March 1, 2025 and charged him with trespass and contempt of court after he violated a restraining order. The charges were dismissed without prejudice. Cochran was arrested again on March 30 for violating the protective order involving his ex-wife. Third time was not the charm for Cochran as MPD arrested him again on May 9 and charged him with trespass, stalking, and failure to comply with request.
Cochran's hearing was held on August 13. The Cochran scion entered the courtroom shackled in an orange jumper. After firing his lawyers a week earlier, Cochran represented himself. Judge Streetman said Cochran faced charges of trespass, stalking, and disorderly conduct/failure to obey a law enforcement officer. The Court noted "You've been here before on numerous occasions."
Several police officers testified against the defendant as they told similar stories. MPD Officer William Hall said police were called to the victim's home in June 2024 because Cochran appeared on the premises. The incident did not result in an arrest.
Cochran argued several times the police were supposed to provide him with the bodycam evidence. However, the Court ruled the defendant had no right to the footage in discovery since the prosecution was not going to use any bodycam video at trial.
Officer Christian Venzen testified he responded to a call when Cochran's ex-wife called police to her home on February 16, 2025. Cochran kept knocking at the door and would not leave when asked to do so. He said he would not leave and told police to go ahead and take him to jail. MPD did so, charging him with disorderly conduct and disobeying a police officer. Cochran pleaded no contest to the charges as the Court ordered him to stay away from his ex-wife. In another February incident, Cochran had a suitcase filled with his clothes placed on her front porch.
The former Mrs. Cochran took the stand. Showing no anxiety, she spoke firmly and precisely. She said the couple was married twenty years before divorcing in 2017.
The victim said her ex-husband appeared at her home in February to "talk about us" and didn't understand why she would not let him inside. She called the police when he tried to open the door. She said "he never stopped contacting me despite the no-contact order." She said she took his calls sometimes just so she could know where he was.
More mischief happened after Cochran spent time at Region 8 earlier this year. He called his ex-wife to come get him upon release but she refused. Cochran went by her mother's house before coming to her home. She called police but he left before they arrived. Cochran told police they re-married that day.
Cochran repeatedly tried to win her back, sending her a handwritten letter, flowers, and even his private journal in March. When she threatened to call police, he told her to go ahead.
The defendant declined to cross-examine his ex-wife as the told the Court "I'm cool." The flippant response earned a stern rebuke from Judge Streetman. The judge chewed out Cochran several times for showing disrespect to the Court and trying to make arguments when he was questioning witnesses .
Cochran returned on May 9, saying "we need to work this out." He told the Court he went there to get his dog because she would not let him have it. He left the house and went to the police station. Cochran demanded the police help him get his dog. The police refused to do so. Cochran cursed them repeatedly. When the police tried to handcuff Cochran, he resisted by holding his hands against his chest before moving aggressively towards them.
After the prosecution rested, Clayton Cochran called his oldest son, Sam, to the witness stand. Sam testified his mother called the police on him and had called the police on other family members. However, Sam said on cross-examination his father asked if he would re-marry them since he is an ordained minister.
Clayton asked his younger son, Thaddeus, if the former Mrs. Cochran had a pattern of calling the police as well as an ambulance. Thaddeus answered in the affirmative. However, the Court stopped that line of questioning when the prosecution objected.
The elder Cochran argued with Judge Streetman, claiming he was not given enough latitude. Raising his voice, the judge admonished the defendant, "You've been given more latitude than any other court in the world so don't tell me you haven't been given more latitude."
The case moved on to closing arguments. Madison prosecutor John Hedglin said the February charges were remanded after a commitment hearing for Clayton. He trespassed on May 9 in violation of the no-contact order and despite being warned twice by police officers. Undeterred, he had the suitcase delivered on May 28. Hedglin urged the Court to find the defendant guilty on all counts.
Cochran was his own worst enemy during closing arguments. The defendant possessed a concealed carry permit. The Department of Public Safety sent a letter to Clayton after the February arrest and commitment. Cochran confessed to most of the charges in the letter. The failed son of a Mississippi Senator read the letter out loud. He said he got arrested because he was trying to help his daughter (Her troubles will not be discussed in post nor allowed in comments.). "I had no reason to believe I would not be welcome," claimed Cochran.
"I put myself in harm's way. The police were called frequently to this house. If I'm the problem, I will be subject to all kinds of punishment," said Clayton Cochran. Confessing, he said "I am totally guilty of trying to get my dog back." Judge Streetman warned the defendant but Cochran said "I have not lied to you."
Judge Streetman said "this is an unfortunate situation." He noted that although the Court fined Cochran $500 in February and he was in Region 8 for 18 days, more contact continued. Although he looks like a grandfather, the silver-haired judge possesses a voice that booms with the sound of justice. Judge Streetman said the letter was a confession and found Cochran guilty of all charges.
The Court sentenced Clayton Cochran to 180 days in jail for trespassing with 90 days suspended, 180 days in jail for disorderly conduct with 90 days suspended, and 360 days in jail with 180 days suspended. However, Judge Streetman ordered Cochran to serve all sentences consecutively. Thus Thaddeus Clayton Cochran will be incarcerated at the Madison County Detention Center for a year.
If Cochran has any further contact with his ex-wife, the suspended part of the sentences will be reinstated.
26 comments:
He needs mental help.
Nope. He knew exactly what he was doing. He's fully competent to face the charges. Now he gets some adult daycare.
Note to the High-Sherf: Don't be walkin' no food tray into his cell.
Thank goodness this man is finally in jail. Maybe his ex wife and family can get some peace.
He'll be back in a year.
If a beat down won’t help him, the next move must be, yes a two by four!
your father is a u s senator for over 40 years and you can't make it any farther than the canton jail.............pretty pathetic.
His dad would be heart broken!
There's one thing that's undefeated and untied through all of human history.
If Trump accomplishes one more thing in his remaining time, it needs to be brining back insane asylums. We can talk about getting people mental help, but you can't make people get mental help.
How is this situation going to culminate? Tragically, I'm afraid.
Don’t be fooled, he still got a hinds co style blessing just cause who he is. Us normies would have been in prison long ago and all these charges would be felony instead. We would be in real state prison but he gets to play trusty in his home away from home Madison county jail to do this time. It’s a joke. He’ll learn nothing from this and will continue to terrorize his family. Thanks judge.
this is a perfect example of a person who had a million chances to be successful.................and he blew everyone of them.
I don't practice criminal law. Can someone explain this:
"However, the Court ruled the defendant had no right to the footage in discovery since the prosecution was not going to use any bodycam video at trial."
Even if the prosecution didn't plan to use it, the video exists and might have helped him. Why shouldn't he be allowed to see it? I appreciate the free legal advice. I don't know much about discovery in criminal cases. (I vaguely know about Box).
"Cochran argued several times the police were supposed to provide him with the bodycam evidence. However, the Court ruled the defendant had no right to the footage in discovery since the prosecution was not going to use any bodycam video at trial."
That is what representing oneself at trial looks like.
I’ve met this man and didn’t know who he was. It was in a private part of a building and the look in his eyes was that of a crazed man. I was taken aback. When I did not know who he was he was offended. Not sure meds help his type of insanity
I pray that somewhere down the road this does not end badly for any or all connected to this situation. Reading the long list of how many times he has thumbed his nose at justice and gotten away with it is deeply disturbing. Everyone will be looking back, shaking their heads, and wondering how did this happen? He should have served some time way before this. I feel for his ex wife.
The prosecution is required to turn over exculpatory evidence in its possession. I'm guessing that the video was not "exculpatory" and that the prosecution had so much incriminating evidence that the video wasn't needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty as charged.
Nepo-babies all too often, just can't seem to be functional members of society.
Something about consequences seems to have eluded them far longer than the rest of us plebes.
He belongs in Whitfield. Just like his father, he’s living off the taxpayers now.
My $0.02: People who represent themselves often seem to believe that, if they can find fault with the other side, then they somehow get off the hook.
That's probably why he made such a big deal out of the not getting the body cam footage.
I'm Surprised Cockran didn't bring this up- Town of Castle Rock VS Gonzales. The Supreme Court ruled that the LEO was under no obligation to enforce a restraining order against a husband who murdered their kid while the order was in effect...
Seems to be fairly common in this state - conservative politicians raising law breaking sons. I wonder where the kids get the idea that the laws don’t apply to them? Maybe Congressman Guest can opine?
Judging from his height and weight, this has Diabetic Fugue State written all over it. Physicians USUALLY fail to diagnose Type 2 Diabetes (even in themselves), and people can go, for decades, without understanding what's wrong with them.
Add-in an antidepressant, and a sufferer can't help himself. Factor-in a TRIGGER, like a troublemaking little gold-digger, setting up situations which are basically TRAPS, and it's a hopeless situation.
Cortisol production, triggered by the trap, kicks-in, and full-blown Dysglycemia provides a days-long emotional rollercoaster - egging a guy onward, toward his own destruction. (and, if booze or weed or pills are part of the equation, then things are even worse)
Does Helpless Princess get MORE money out of this? Or, did cashing-in her Marriage Certificate bring in a one-time windfall profit?
He didn't look fat in court.
Thanks, Kingfish! I just ran the numbers listed on the arrest report, through WebMD's BMI calculator. If those numbers are accurate, then he's OBESE - at least, according to WebMD, which is not infallible. It's easy to be PREdiabetic, even when one is 'Skinny-fat' (bulging abdomen from visceral fat, but otherwise thin). PREdiabetic mood swings seem to be of shorter duration, while (in theory) obesity can support sustained rampages.
Remember the Good-ol'-days, when The Courthouse Racquet Club had a branch in every corner of the metro, and when something triggered a person's cortisol/anger, one could duck-into a Courthouse, jump on a treadmill, and RUN the anger away? ...saved ME from my own temper, more than once.
I don't know what he looked like in court, but if 5'7" and 210 is correct, he is about an inch shorter and about 10 pounds heavier than Barry Sanders was when he was playing.
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