After Hodgman was incapacited by stress related illness in the courtroom shortly before opening statements, Darden was named co-prosecutor. Darden's friendship with Cochran, who was a prominent figure on Simpson's defense team, became heavily strained due to their clashing positions regarding the inclusion of racism in the case.
Christopher Darden. Christopher Allen "Chris" Darden (born April 7, 1956) is an American lawyer, author, actor, lecturer, and practicing attorney.
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.
Now the man charged in his death, Eric Holder, is being represented by another Los Angeles figure: Christopher Darden, who became a household name when he helped prosecute — unsuccessfully — O.J. Simpson in 1995 for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman.
For the American Mathematician, see Christine Darden. Christopher Allen Darden (born April 7, 1956) is an American lawyer, author, actor, and lecturer. He worked 15 years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney 's office, where he gained national attention as a co-prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson murder case .
It was reported in August 2020 that Darden would represent Corey Walker, the alleged killer of rapper Pop Smoke.
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.
Darden took and passed the California Bar Exam in the summer of 1980. Four months afterward, he was hired at the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles. Looking for a career change, he applied for and was hired for a position with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Darden was initially assigned to the Huntington Park office before moving on to Beverly Hills, and finally moved to the Criminal Courts Building (CCB) in downtown Los Angeles in late 1983.
During his tenure as a prosecutor at the CCB, Darden served in the central trials and hard-core gang units before transferring to the Special Investigation Division (SID), which investigates criminal activity by public and law enforcement officials, in February 1988.
Darden left the law school in 1999 and started his own firm, Darden & Associates, Inc., specializing in criminal defense and civil litigation.
Early life and education. Darden was born in Richmond, California, the fourth of eight siblings. After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in 1974, Darden enrolled at San Jose State University, where he participated in track and field and joined Alpha Phi Alpha, an African-American fraternity.