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.
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.
Darden took and passed the California Bar Exam in the summer of 1980. He was subsequently unemployed for four months before taking a job with the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles. Dissatisfied with the work, he applied for and got a position with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, and was initially assigned to the Huntington Park office before moving on to Beverly Hills, and finally 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. It was in this position that Darden first met Johnnie Cochran, who would represent the victims of alleged police violence.
Darden initially became involved in the O. J. Simpson murder case after being asked by Deputy District Attorneys Marcia Clark and William Hodgman to lead the prosecution of Al Cowlings, Simpson's friend and the driver of the white Ford Bronco during the infamous car chase. Although that particular case fell through due to lack of evidence to prove criminal intent, Clark requested Darden join the Simpson team as case manager since she and Hodgman were bogged down by various motions and filings from the defense. Darden was also tasked by Clark to prepare for testimony, among others, Detective Mark Furhman. After Hodgman's medical incapacitation shortly before opening statements, Darden was named co-prosecutor.
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