Christopher Darden
Encyclopedia
Christopher Allen Darden (born April 7, 1956) is an American
lawyer
, writer, lecturer and practicing attorney. He was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney
, where he was assigned to the prosecution of O.J. Simpson. Darden gained fame during the O.J. Simpson murder case when he asked Simpson to try on the once-blood-soaked gloves.
(1977) and his law degree
from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1980).
Darden lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marcia Carter, and his four children, Jenee, Christopher, Jr., Tiffany, and Chase.
After leaving the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in 1995, Darden joined the faculty at California State University, Los Angeles
, where he taught criminal law. That same year, he was appointed Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern University School of Law
, Los Angeles. Darden taught and specialized in criminal procedure and trial advocacy. He left the law school in 1999 and immediately started his own firm, Darden & Associates, Inc., specializing in criminal defense and civil litigation. Darden continues to be an advocate against domestic violence and is active in the National Bar Association
, American Trial Lawyers Association and Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity.
In 1998, Darden received the Crystal Heart Award from Loved Ones of Homicide Victims, an organization devoted to aiding families that have suffered the loss of loved ones as a result of violence. In 2000, he was recognized as "Humanitarian of the Year" by Eli Horne, a California shelter for abused children and women.
Darden has lectured at various colleges and universities, including but not limited to, Indiana University
, University of Pittsburgh
, Yale
, University of Miami
, Mercer University
, Pennsylvania
, Case Western and Georgia State University
. He has also spoken on a variety of legal and social issues at major fundraisers, state and regional bar association convention, and corporate gatherings.
Darden is a former legal commentator for CNN
, Court TV
, NBC
and CNBC
, and a frequent guest and commentator on CNN, Fox News Network and Court TV
. He has appeared on every major television news or talk show. He has made guest appearances on Touched By an Angel
, Girlfriends
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Muppets Tonight
, Roseanne
, and the movie Liar Liar
. He is the former principal attorney in the syndicated legal show Power of Attorney.
Darden is also a writer. He is the co-author of the former number one New York Times best seller, In Contempt (1996), The Trials of Nikki Hill
(1999), and LA Justice (2000). In September 2002, he published The Last Defense, a crime thriller written with Dick Lochte.
He is currently of Counsel
to THE FOXX FIRM, PLC, a private criminal defense and civil litigation firm in Culver City, California
.
.
In an interview by Oprah Winfrey
that aired February 9, 2006, Darden stated that he still believes Simpson to be guilty. He also added that he was nearly as disgusted with the perjury
of Mark Fuhrman
as by the brutal murders of Ronald Goldman
and Nicole Brown Simpson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, writer, lecturer and practicing attorney. He was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney
The District Attorney of Los Angeles County prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, California....
, where he was assigned to the prosecution of O.J. Simpson. Darden gained fame during the O.J. Simpson murder case when he asked Simpson to try on the once-blood-soaked gloves.
Biography
Darden received his B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from San Jose State UniversitySan José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
(1977) and his law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1980).
Darden lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Marcia Carter, and his four children, Jenee, Christopher, Jr., Tiffany, and Chase.
Career
During his tenure as a prosecutor, he was the Assistant Head Deputy Attorney of the Special Investigations Division. There for 6 years, his division investigated corrupt public officials, election law violations and police officer shootings and allegations of excessive use of force by police. Past assignments also included the Hardcore Gang Division and the Major Crimes Division. He has tried 27 homicide cases.After leaving the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in 1995, Darden joined the faculty at California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system...
, where he taught criminal law. That same year, he was appointed Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern Law School is a private ABA-accredited law school located in Los Angeles, California , with about 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire building, an admired art deco National Register of Historic Places landmark built in 1929...
, Los Angeles. Darden taught and specialized in criminal procedure and trial advocacy. He left the law school in 1999 and immediately started his own firm, Darden & Associates, Inc., specializing in criminal defense and civil litigation. Darden continues to be an advocate against domestic violence and is active in the National Bar Association
National Bar Association
The National Bar Association was established in 1925 as the "Negro Bar Association" after Gertrude Rush, George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, and Charles P. Howard, Sr. were denied membership in the American Bar Association. It represents the interests of African-American attorneys in...
, American Trial Lawyers Association and Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity.
In 1998, Darden received the Crystal Heart Award from Loved Ones of Homicide Victims, an organization devoted to aiding families that have suffered the loss of loved ones as a result of violence. In 2000, he was recognized as "Humanitarian of the Year" by Eli Horne, a California shelter for abused children and women.
Darden has lectured at various colleges and universities, including but not limited to, Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Case Western and Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
. He has also spoken on a variety of legal and social issues at major fundraisers, state and regional bar association convention, and corporate gatherings.
Darden is a former legal commentator for CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, and a frequent guest and commentator on CNN, Fox News Network and Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
. He has appeared on every major television news or talk show. He has made guest appearances on Touched By an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
, Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight
Muppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
, Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
, and the movie Liar Liar
Liar Liar
Liar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
. He is the former principal attorney in the syndicated legal show Power of Attorney.
Darden is also a writer. He is the co-author of the former number one New York Times best seller, In Contempt (1996), The Trials of Nikki Hill
The trials of Nikki Hill
The Trials of Nikki Hill is a legal thriller written by Christopher Darden and Dick Lochte, and published Time Warner Company in 1999.- Plot summary:The protagonist of this legal thriller is 33 year old, Nikki Hill...
(1999), and LA Justice (2000). In September 2002, he published The Last Defense, a crime thriller written with Dick Lochte.
He is currently of Counsel
Of counsel
Of counsel is often the title of an attorney who is employed by a law firm or an organization, but is not an associate or a partner. Some firms use titles like "counsel," "special counsel," and "senior counsel" for the same concept...
to THE FOXX FIRM, PLC, a private criminal defense and civil litigation firm in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.
Life after the Simpson trial
After the Simpson trial, Darden left the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in 1995 and joined the faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, where he taught undergraduate criminal law. That same year, he was appointed Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern University School of Law. Darden taught and specialized in criminal procedure and trial advocacy. He left the law school in 1999 and started his own firm, Darden & Associates, Inc., specializing in criminal defense and civil litigation. In December 2007, he was considered for elevation to a judgeship by Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
.
In an interview by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
that aired February 9, 2006, Darden stated that he still believes Simpson to be guilty. He also added that he was nearly as disgusted with the perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
of Mark Fuhrman
Mark Fuhrman
Mark Fuhrman is a former detective of the Los Angeles Police Department , known for his part in the investigation of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and his subsequent felony conviction for perjury...
as by the brutal murders of Ronald Goldman
Ronald Goldman
Ronald Lyle "Ron" Goldman was an American waiter and an aspiring model. He was murdered along with Nicole Brown Simpson, former wife of O. J. Simpson, an actor and retired American football player. The subsequent criminal investigation and trial against O. J...
and Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson
Nicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
.