Christopher Darden
| Christopher Darden | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Christopher Allen Darden April 7, 1956 Richmond, California, United States |
| Alma mater |
San Jose State University University of California, Hastings |
| Occupation | Prosecutor, author, law professor |
Christopher Allen "Chris" Darden (born April 7, 1956) is an American lawyer, author, actor, lecturer and practicing attorney. He was a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, where he was assigned to the prosecution of O. J. Simpson, a role in which he gained a great deal of national attention.
Early life and education
Darden was born in Richmond, California.[1] He received his B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from San Jose State University (1977) and his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1980).[2]
Career
During his tenure as a prosecutor, Darden was the Assistant Head Deputy Attorney of the Special Investigations Division where he tried 27 homicide cases.
Darden resigned after the O.J. Simpson case, 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.
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 made guest appearances on Touched by an Angel,[3] Girlfriends, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Howard Stern Show, Muppets Tonight, Roseanne, and the movie Liar Liar. He plays a disgruntled policeman in the TV movie One Hot Summer Night.[3] He is the former principal attorney in the syndicated legal show Power of Attorney.
Darden is also a writer. In addition to In Contempt,[3] which chronicled his experiences with the O.J. Simpson trial, he is a co-author (with Dick Lochte) of a number of crime novels, including The Trials of Nikki Hill (1999), LA Justice (2000), and The Last Defense (2002).
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 California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.[4]
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 murders of Goldman and Simpson.
On September 6, 2012, Darden accused deceased Simpson defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran of "'manipulating' one of the infamous gloves that the prosecution said linked Simpson to the grisly double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman."[5]
Personal life
Darden married TV executive Marcia Carter on August 31, 1997.[3] They have three children together — a daughter and two sons.[6] He has two children from previous relationships, including a daughter, Tiffany (b. 1997).[3]
In 1996 he revealed he was a Republican and stated he wished to address the 1996 Republican National Convention.[7] His request was ignored.
Honors and awards
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.
In popular culture
Darden was parodied along with Marcia Clark in the Emmy-nominated online sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, in which he was portrayed by Jerry Minor.
In The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), Darden was portrayed by Sterling K. Brown, who won an Emmy Award for his performance.
References
- ↑ "Christopher Darden". Biography.com. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Christopher Allen Darden". The State Bar of California. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Byrne, Bridget (September 24, 1997). "Chris Darden Marries Different Marcia". EOnline.com. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Ex-O.J. Simpson Prosecutor Christopher Darden Seeking Judgeship". metnews.com. Metropolitan News-Enterprise. December 18, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Ex-prosecutor claims OJ Simpson attorney tampered with glove". NBCNews.com. Reuters. September 8, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Former O.J. Simpson Prosecutor Christopher Darden: 'Now I Can Be Pissed Off'". Huffington Post. January 6, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ↑ Macklin, William R. (1996-04-03). "Indignation Intact, Darden Becomes Best-selling Author A Registered Republican, Darden Would Like To Speak At This Year's Gop Convention". philly.com. Retrieved 2016-03-13.