Christopher Darden

As of April 2020, Darden is representing a man accused of pulling a knife on a television crew at a COVID-19 anti-lockdown protest rally in Huntington Beach and forcing them to delete footage.

Darden represented Eric Holder in his arraignment on April 4, 2019. Darden entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Holder, who is accused of murdering Nipsey Hussle. Darden dropped out of the case May 10, same day as the court date. Darden received multiple death threats for representing Holder.

On September 6, 2012, Darden accused deceased Simpson defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran of " 'manipulating' one of the infamous gloves", a claim Alan Dershowitz has called "a total fabrication", saying, "the defense doesn't get access to evidence except under controlled circumstances."

In an interview by Oprah Winfrey that aired February 9, 2006, Darden stated that he still believed Simpson was guilty. He added that he was nearly as disgusted with the perjury of Mark Fuhrman as by the murders of Goldman and Simpson.

Darden is also a writer. In addition to In Contempt, which chronicles his experiences with the O.J. Simpson trial, he co-authored (with Dick Lochte) a number of crime novels, including The Trials of Nikki Hill (1999), LA Justice (2000), and The Last Defense (2002).

Darden 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.

Darden married TV executive Marcia Carter on August 31, 1997. Together they have three children.

He appeared on the cover of Newsweek in 1996 with an article "My Case Against O.J.", which addressed his involvement and prosecution of OJ Simpson.

In 1996, he revealed he was a Republican and said he would disclose his Party choice at the 1996 Republican National Convention.

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. It was in this position that Darden first met Johnnie Cochran, who represented some victims of alleged police violence. Darden and Cochran became close friends, with Darden seeing Cochran as a mentor figure.

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.

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. He received his B.S. in criminal justice administration in 1977. Darden received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings, in 1980.

Christopher Allen 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 a co-prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson murder trial, a role in which he gained a great deal of national attention.