Christopher Darden is an American lawyer, author, lecturer, actor, and attorney, best known for serving as a co-prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case. He worked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for 15 years.
Christopher Darden was named the attorney representing Eric Holder, who has been accused of shooting and killing rapper Nipsey Hussle earlier this week. According to the Los Angeles Times, after Holder received his charges in court today (April 4), Darden entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client today.
Mr. Darden also became a defense lawyer and worked as a commentator on legal cases for a number of television networks. Is it common for prosecutors to become defense lawyers? Yes.
Darden is best known as one of the prosecutors during the O.J. Simpson trial; he was the Deputy District Attorney at the time, and famously told Simpson to try on the glove that ultimately helped get him acquited. Here’s what you need to know about Christopher Darden:
When the case ended, Darden became a college professor before starting his own law firm. He is now 65 and still practicing law.
Marcia CarterChristopher Darden / Spouse (m. 1997)
Marcia ClarkMarcia Clark, the trial's lead prosecutor, resigned from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office after the case and left the practice of law. Her memoir of the trial, Without A Doubt, fetched a $4 million advance.
Darden became a household name in the mid-90s during the O.J. Simpson murder case after being named co-prosecutor in the trial. Attorney Christopher Darden, former prosecutor in the OJ Simpson trial, is representing Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder.
Simpson prosecutors Darden and Marcia Clark actually have romantic relationship, as seen in the multiple Emmy-winning FX series? “We were more than friends,” Darden recently told ET. “We were inseparable back then.”
Christopher Allen Darden (born April 7, 1956) is an American lawyer, author, actor, and lecturer....Christopher DardenOccupationAttorney author television correspondentYears active1980–presentSpouse(s)Marcia Carter ( m. 1997)Children33 more rows
According to reports, Judge Lance Ito still resides with his wife, Peggy York, at their home in Pasadena, California.
So, on April 21, the jurors processed into the courthouse wearing black in protest of the guard dismissals, and Judge Ito was forced to shut down the trial itself for two days to hear their concerns individually in his chambers.
June 16, 1994Nicole Brown Simpson / Date of burial
Gordon Clarkm. 1980–1995Gabriel Horowitzm. 1976–1980Marcia Clark/Husband
Christopher DardenMarcia Carter / Spouse (m. 1997)
66 years (April 7, 1956)Christopher Darden / Age
His practice as a lawyer earned him great wealth. With his earnings, he bought and drove cars such as a Jaguar and a Rolls-Royce. He owned homes in Los Angeles, two apartments in West Hollywood and a condo in Manhattan. In 2001, Cochran's accountant estimated that within five years he would be worth US$25–50 million.
Following the O.J. Simpson case, Christopher Darden resigned. He joined the California State University, Los Angeles, and taught an undergraduate course in criminal law there.
In 1977, Christopher Darden graduated with a B.S. degree in criminal justice administration. In 1980, he obtained his Juris Doctor (law) degree from the Hastings College of Law of the University of California. Continue Reading Below.
Christopher then joined the San Jose State University. There, he was part of the university’s track and field team. He was also a member of the African–American group Alpha Phi Alpha and was active in student politics. In 1977, Christopher Darden graduated with a B.S. degree in criminal justice administration.
Four months after clearing the California Bar Exam in 1980 , Christopher Darden joined the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles.
Christopher Darden was initially assigned to investigate the case of Al Cowlings. Following this, deputy district attorney Marcia Clark asked Christopher to take over as the case manager of Simpson’s case, as she and William Hodgman were handling several filings by the defense team.
In 1999, he launched his own law firm, Darden & Associates, Inc., which dealt with cases related to criminal defense and civil litigation. In December 2007, the then-governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, considered him for a promotion to judgeship.
Christopher Darden fathered a daughter, Jenee, while in his second year of law school and proposed marriage to his girlfriend, Jenee’s mother. Unfortunately, she rejected his proposal. Though he later took up a job in the LA District Attorney’s Office, he continued to visit Jenee frequently.
Mr. Darden currently owns and operates Darden Law Group, after a successful 16-year career as a Special Prosecutor in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Recently, Mr. Darden has teamed up and joined forces with Exoneree, Marty Tankleff and Metcalf & Metcalf, P.C., a Manhattan based law firm. The team focus on potential wrongful conviction cases in both New York and California.
During the mid to late 1980s, Christopher was an essential Lead Prosecutor in the Special Investigation Division (SID) which investigated criminal activity by public and law enforcement officials.
Darden married his wife Marcia Carter, an entertainment executive, in 1997. A ccording to Marcia Carter Darden’s LinkedIn profile, she has been the Chief Financial Officer of Mapleton Radio since 2011 and is an Oglethorpe University Alumni. According to ESPN, the couple had a son together, named Christopher.
After the trial, Darden published a memoir in 1996 that gave his behind-the-scenes account. According to Amazon, the description for In Contempt reads: For more than a year, Christopher Darden argued tirelessly for the prosecution, giving voice to the victims in the 0.J. Simpson murder trial.
Because of their closeness throughout the trial, the public wondered if Darden and Marcia Clark were more than friends and colleagues. In his book, Darden acknowledged these suspicions, writing:
According to The Hartford Courant, Chris’s brother Michael was dying of AIDS during the O.J. Simpson trial. Darden told The Courant “When I think of the courage he showed those last 24 months. I’d be in the trial and he’d call trying to console me. He was an inspiration.”
Christopher Darden was named the attorney representing Eric Holder, who has been accused of shooting and killing rapper Nipsey Hussle earlier this week. According to the Los Angeles Times, after Holder received his charges in court today (April 4), Darden entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client today.
According to IMDB, Darden has some acting experience of his own: he is credited as playing “Detective Mingus” in the TV movie One Hot Summer Night and “Pastor George” in an episode of Touched by an Angel. He also appeared as himself on numerous talk shows, including The View, Oprah, and Howard Stern.
His oldest child, Jenee, is a journalist; she published a piece in the Los Angeles Times about what it was like to “grow up Darden,” and the racial backlash she faced following her father’s heavy involvement in the famous case. She wrote “When my family wasn’t praying through death threats, we were dealing with the media. Strange-looking men rang my mother’s doorbell for the scoop on my dad. Paparazzi called my private line, an unlisted number.”
Mr. Darden has said that, as a young man, he grew interested in becoming a lawyer from watching trials involving civil rights leaders.
After leaving the district attorney’s office, Mr. Darden worked as a law professor, and was a co-writer on several legal thrillers as well as “In Contempt,” a behind-the-scenes account of the Simpson case that The New York Times called “ powerful and affecting .”
Mr. Darden addressed the impact of that pivotal moment, and his decision to ask Mr. Simpson to try on the glove, during a Reddit “ Ask Me Anything ” session in 2017.
Chris Darden, O.J. Simpson Prosecutor, Is Now Defending the Suspect in Nipsey Hussle’s Killing. Christopher Darden appeared in court Thursday with Eric Holder, the suspect in the killing of Nipsey Hussle.
Yet many lawyers hold strongly to the concept that everyone is entitled to a defense. In fact, Mr. Darden has said that if he had been a criminal defense lawyer at the time, he would not have had a problem defending Mr. Simpson.
Yes. Many law school graduates favor starting their careers as prosecutors. It pays less than some of them could make in private practice, but it provides invaluable court experience early in their careers, while their more highly paid law school classmates who take private jobs spend their time on legal research and helping more seasoned lawyers prepare cases.