In Contempt

I could not put this book down. Darden has written a book that clearly shows Simpson's guilt. He goes into great detail about the crime scene, and how there was no way that a racist, extremely evil detective could have planted evidence. This book stirred up several emotions as Darden takes you into the courtroom and speaks of things that only the D.A., defense, and Judge "Ego" would know about. Johnny Cochran fueled the fire against the prosecutor, making him appear as though he were an Uncle Tom, and turning his back on his race. Cochran and the defense turned this case into a joke, making it more about race and trying to use that as a distraction instead of what it was really about, the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. You find out just how brutal these murders really were, as committed by O.J. himself. Darden was a prosecutor, man who was very proud of being an African American. He had to deal with everything from death threats, to the garbage that the defense was pulling. The evidence, as Darden points out was overwhelming. If you followed this case while it was happening, you already know about the mountain of evidence stacked against Simpson. Darden talks about where his mistakes were made. He, along with many others, felt that the prosecution took a hit with the so called "glove" incident. But he describes how Simpson was reluctant to put the glove on, and why it appeared not to fit properly. The prosecutor speaks about his childhood growing up in the Bay area. He talks about the people who helped him along to become the lawyer that he always wanted to be. He also touches on his sick brother Michael, whom he looked up to as a kid. This book is not only about the Simpson trial. It is about a man who loves his community, loves his family, and believes in the search for justice. I highly recommend it.

I was a junior in college when the O.J. Simpson verdict was announced in October 1995, and I bought Chris Darden's book as soon as it was published. I was (and still am) inspired by Darden's story of how he grew up, why he decided to become a lawyer, and all of his personal and professional trials, tribulations, and triumphs - not to mention the guts that it took to agree to be on the prosecution team of "the trial of the century." Reading about all of the ostracism that Darden suffered by blacks in L.A. (not to mention being all but skewered in the court of national black public opinion) enraged me. The fact that he was labeled a "sellout," "Uncle Tom," and a "race traitor" of the worst kind for prosecuting (as was his job) a wealthy black celebrity athelete - whom most people, including blacks, knew was guilty as hell! - made me realize as a young black man that sometimes we as blacks indeed are our own worst enemy. As Darden poignantly points out, supporting a black man who, based on the evidence, murdered his white wife and her friend is not "getting back at the [white] man." To add insult to injury, after the verdict and subsequent black celebrations, some black lawyers group decided to "honor" Darden at a dinner - with Johnnie Cochran as the guest speaker, no less - with what I'll term a BLACK GUILT-ASSUAGING AWARD. This was basically their way of saying to Darden, after taking him to the public opinion woodshed for over a year, that "You're still 'down' with us. You're welcome back into the community." In accepting his award, Darden, to his credit, let them know: "You don't have to welcome me back into the community, because I never left."Christopher Darden has nothing to be ashamed about. He honored the legal profession by doing his civic duty to the best of his ability as an officer of the court AND the law. We could all learn a lot from his example.

I was a teacher at the time of the OJ trial, and as a result, ended up spending a lot of time that summer watching the trial. I have read nearly every book written on it and actually found this book on the clearance rack at a book store. I am an avid reader--I have been know to read 2 to 3 books a week. I can honestly say, OJ or no OJ, that this was the best book that I have EVER read. I could not put it down, nor could anyone in my family. My husband doesn't even like to read and he was reading it over my shoulder during a flight. I found his story incredible. What a different prospective I have about him now!

Anyone who feels that our judicial system can be manipulated must read this book. It is an enlightening, honest account from the point of view of a brilliant prosecutor who happens to be African-American. I was truly sickened and enraged by the verdict, but after reading this book I was able to put views, attitudes and arguments into perspective: OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS SEVERELY FLAWED. Mr. Darden tried to bring justice by showing the truth, and he suffered for his efforts. He is not only a respectable and courageous man, but he is also an honorable attorney.

Growing up in Los Angeles was a treat and an advantage over the rest of the country because I had the opportunity to observe many things regarding the O.J. Simpson trial. He was aquitted during the fall of my senior year of high school at Long Beach Polytechnic. We studied the current events and many teachers/students became very opinionated. Myself however, did not. I picked up the hard copy of the book entering my freshman year of college as a pre-law student. I found the book to be very compelling. Christopher Darden wrote a very inspirational account of his life growing up, and with the L.A. District Attorney's Office. I would reconmend the book to any one person who might be interested in pursuing a career seeking justice just as Christopher Darden had. I also reconmend this book to any one person who might want to read a factual account of the O.J. Simpson trial.