Oj Case Wiki

With no witnesses to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, DNA evidence in the O. Simpson murder case was the key physical proof used by the prosecution to link O. Simpson to the crime. Over nine weeks of testimony, 108 exhibits of DNA evidence, including 61 drops of blood, were presented at trial. Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained national recognition as O. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. Simpson murder trial began on January 24, 1995. Pleading not guilty to the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman, which occurred on June 12, 1994, Simpson hired a. Simpson: American Crime Story is the first season of the FX true crime anthology television series American Crime Story.The season, which debuted on February 2, 2016, revolves around the O. Simpson murder case and is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. Case Details: Former football star and actor O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering his wife, Nicole Simpson, and a friend, Ron Goldman on June 12, 1994. During his trial, prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden built much of their case on an incriminating trail of Simpson's blood.

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.

Early life and education[edit]

Darden was born in Richmond, California,^[1] the fourth of eight siblings.^[2] 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.^[2] He received his B.S. in criminal justice administration in 1977. Darden received his Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings, in 1980.^[3]

Career[edit]

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.^[2]

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.^[2] Darden and Cochran became close friends, with Darden seeing Cochran as a mentor figure.

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. After Darden's work on the Al Cowlings case ended, 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 the prosecution's witnesses for testimony, including preparing testimony for key witness Detective Mark Fuhrman. After Hodgman was incapacited by stress related illness in the courtroom shortly before opening statements, Darden was named co-prosecutor.^[2] 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. Simpson was ultimately acquitted.

Darden resigned after the O.J. Simpson case^[4] 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.^[2]

Darden is a former legal commentator for CNBC, CNN, Court TV, and NBC, and a frequent guest and commentator on CNN, Court TV, and Fox News Network.^{[citation needed]} He has made guest appearances on Touched by an Angel,^[5]Girlfriends, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Howard Stern Show, Muppets Tonight, Roseanne, the movie Liar Liar (uncredited), and the TV movie One Hot Summer Night (in which he plays a disgruntled policeman).^[5] He is the former principal attorney in the syndicated legal show Power of Attorney.

Darden is also a writer. In addition to In Contempt,^[5] 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).

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.^[6]

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 GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger.^[7]

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.^[8]

On September 6, 2012, Darden accused deceased Simpson defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran of ''manipulating' one of the infamous gloves',^[9] a claim Alan Dershowitz has called 'a total fabrication', saying, 'the defense doesn't get access to evidence except under controlled circumstances.'^[10]

Darden represented Eric Ronald Holder, Jr. in his arraignment on April 4, 2019. Darden entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Holder, who is accused of murdering Nipsey Hussle.^[11][12][13] Darden dropped out of the case May 10, same day as the court date. Darden received multiple death threats for representing Holder.^[14]

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.^[15]

It was reported in August 2020 that Darden would represent Corey Walker, the alleged killer of rapper Pop Smoke.^[16][17][18]

Personal life[edit]

Darden married TV executive Marcia Carter on August 31, 1997.^[5] Together they have three children.^[19]

Although rumors persisted of a sexual relationship between Marcia Clark and Darden, both have denied such a relationship existed. Both consider their relationship to be extremely close, a result of the intense pressures of the Simpson trial.^[20]

In 1996, he revealed he was a Republican and said he would disclose his party choice at the 1996 Republican National Convention.^[21]

Honors and awards[edit]

• 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[edit]

• Darden and Marcia Clark were parodied in the Emmy-nominated Netflix sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
• 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.
• Darden and Marcia Clark were mentioned in the lyrics by T-Mo of the hip-hop group Goodie Mob in the song 'Soul Food', saying 'F--- Chris Darden, f--- Marsha Clark/Taking us when we're in the spotlight for a joke'
• In 1997, Darden made an appearance on the Howard Stern Show running the question board for Jeopardy. Also appearing were Geraldo Rivera and Richard Belzer.
• Darden was featured heavily via archive footage in Ezra Edelman's documentary O.J.: Made in America, which focused on the life and murder trial of O. J. Simpson. Darden himself was contacted by Edelman to participate in the documentary, but Darden declined.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'Christopher Darden'. Biography. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
2. ^ ^abcdefDarden, Christopher (1996). In Contempt. Thorndike, Maine: G. K. Hall. ISBN9780783818580.
3. ^'Attorney Licensee Profile: Christopher Allen Darden #94959'. State Bar of California. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
4. ^'Hi Reddit – I am Christopher Darden, Prosecutor on O.J. Simpson's Murder Trial. Ask Me Anything!'. Reddit. July 23, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
5. ^ ^abcdByrne, Bridget (September 24, 1997). 'Chris Darden Marries Different Marcia'. E! Online. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
6. ^'Newsweek'. PastPaper.com. 1995–1999. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
7. ^'Ex-O.J. Simpson Prosecutor Christopher Darden Seeking Judgeship'. Metropolitan News-Enterprise. December 18, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
8. ^'Trial and Tribulation'. Oprah.com. February 9, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
9. ^'Ex-prosecutor claims OJ Simpson attorney tampered with glove'. NBC News. Reuters. September 8, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
10. ^'Ex-prosecutor: O.J. Simpson lawyer tampered with glove'. USA Today. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
11. ^'Eric Holder, Represented By Attorney Christopher Darden, Charged With Murder In Nipsey Hussle Shooting'. CBS Los Angeles. April 4, 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
12. ^Karanth, Sanjana (April 5, 2019). 'Nipsey Hussle Shooting Suspect Charged With Murder'. Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
13. ^'Man charged with killing Nipsey Hussle pleads not guilty'. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
14. ^Tchekmedyian, Alene (May 10, 2019). 'Former O.J. Simpson prosecutor leaves Nipsey Hussle case after threats'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
15. ^Sweeney, Don (Apr 21, 2020). 'Man pulls knife on journalists covering anti-lockdown protest, California police say'. The Sacramento Bee.
16. ^Boone, Keyaira (August 25, 2020). 'O.J. Prosecutor Chris Darden To Defend Alleged Killer Of Pop Smoke'. Essence.com. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
17. ^2Bees, Miss (August 25, 2020). 'O.J. SIMPSON'S PROSECUTOR, CHRISTOPHER DARDEN, TO REPRESENT POP SMOKE'S ALLEGED KILLER'. [1]. Retrieved 2020-08-25.External link in work= (help)
18. ^Moorwood, Victoria (August 25, 2020). 'O.J. SIMPSON'S PROSECUTOR, CHRISTOPHER DARDEN, TO REPRESENT POP SMOKE'S ALLEGED KILLER'. [2]. Retrieved 2020-08-25.External link in work= (help)
19. ^'Former O.J. Simpson Prosecutor Christopher Darden: 'Now I Can Be Pissed Off''. Huffington Post. January 6, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
20. ^Seemayer, Zach. 'Exclusive: Christopher Darden Finally Admits He Was 'More Than Friends' With Marcia Clark'. Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
21. ^Macklin, William R. (April 3, 1996). 'Indignation Intact, Darden Becomes Best-selling Author A Registered Republican, Darden Would Like To Speak At This Year's Gop Convention'. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2016-03-13.

External links[edit]

• Christopher Darden on IMDb

It was one of the most gruesome and notorious crimes of the century. In June 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were left slaughtered in pools of their own blood, reportedly by the hands of Brown Simpson’s former husband, O.J. Simpson. Although he was never convicted for their murders, it’s widely believed that Simpson killed Brown Simpson and Goldman.

WARNING: The following images are extremely graphic and may be upsetting to viewers

Nicole Brown Simpson Autopsy Report:

“I. Incised wound of neck:

A. Transection of left and right common carotid arteries.

O.J. Simpson Unsolved Mysteries Wiki Fandom

B. Incisions, left and right internal jugular veins

C. Transection of thyrohyoid membrane, epiglottis, and hypopharynx.

D. Incision into cervical spine, C3.

II. Multiple stab wound of neck and scalp (total of seven).

III. Multiple injuries of hands, including incised wound, ring finger of right hand (defense wound).

Oj Simpson Case Wiki

IV. Scalp bruise, right parietal”

Nicole Brown Simpson

Ron Goldman Autopsy Report:

” Sharp force wound of neck, left side, with transection of left internal jugular vein.

2. Multiple stab wounds of chest, abdomen, and left thigh: Penetrating stab wounds of chest and abdomen with right hemothorax and hemoperitoneum.

3. Multiple incised wounds of scalp, face, neck, chest and left hand (defense wound).

4. Multiple abrasions upper extremities and hands (defense wounds).”

Ron Goldman

After the Murders

Simpson was acquitted on murder charges, but in February 1997, a Santa Monica Superior Court jury found Simpson liable for the deaths of both Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson in a civil trial. The jury awarded Simpson’s mother and Goldman’s parents $33.5 million, which included $8.5 million in compensatory damages and $12.5 million in punitive damages.

LA Timesreported that the civil trial was quite different from Simpson’s criminal trial. The jury heard about detectives reportedly signing book deals, Simpson failing a lie detector test, and Brown Simpson calling a shelter for help days before the murder.

During the civil trial deposition, Simpson spoke out about the murders for the first time under oath. He declined to take the stand during his criminal trial. For 13 days, Attorney Daniel Petrocelli questioned Simpson during the deposition and at one point, Simpson claimed he didn’t remember where he was on the night of the murders.

“I don’t know if they [the police] asked me that question. I was home.”

“They did ask you. What did you say?” Petrocelli shot back.

“I don’t recall if they asked me so I don’t know what I said. What don’t you ask me?” Simpson replied.

“I just did, where were—“ Petrocelli asked

“Why don’t you ask me?” Simpson replied while cutting the attorney off mid-sentence.

Petrocelli also presented photos of a battered and bruised Brown Simpson, yet Simpson insisted he that he never hit her and the wounds were from make-up while doing the movie.

P: “Do you see those bruises on her face?”

Who Is Oj Simpson

S: “No.”

P: “You don’t see anything?”

S: “No, I mean, I see this eye thing.”

P: “You don’t think this picture reflects any bruising or injuries or marks on Nicole’s face?”

S: “No, I don’t.”

P: “What do you think this reflects?”

S: “It reflects doing a movie that we’re doing and we’re doing make-up.”

Simpson Writes a Book

In 2006, Simpson decided to write a book about the case, entitled, If I Did It. The book focuses on how Simpson felt he was portrayed poorly by the press; he denied being a “sociopath,” although he admitted he went after Brown Simpson’s car with a baseball bat. Yet, he wrote (with the help of ghostwriter, Pablo Fenjves) that he only lifted his hand to his wife, and that if she were alive today, she would be the first to agree.

He also threw Brown Simpson “under the bus” throughout the book with claims of drug abuse and erratic behavior. He wrote she was angry, vindictive, and had an affair after pushing him into marriage. Simpson also deflected the violence onto Brown Simpson and wrote that his wife was the violent one.

“Nice people don’t go around getting themselves knifed to death,” Simpson wrote.

In 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the Goldman family all rights to the book. The quickly changed the book’s name to, If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer.

“After 13 years of trying to get some justice, today is probably the first time we had any sense of seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” Ron Goldman’s father, Fred Goldman said, after winning rights to the book. “It’s gratifying to see.”

Check back with Crime Online for continuous coverage of O.J. Simpson’s upcoming parole hearing on July 20.

Season Eleven

[Feature Photo: AP]