Customer Reviews

In Contempt

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In Contempt by Christopher Darden is an interesting book. I bought it following an interview on a morning TV talk show shortly after it was released. At that time, Darden spoke about his "passion, not anger," after the interviewer alleged he was an angry, bitter man. I thought he made an intriguing statement . . . Although he is moody -- and this comes out not only in his speaking, but also in his writing -- the tone of the book on balance is not harsh and heavy handed.

Certainly, there are shots at the main characters, Judge Ito, the Scheme Team, led by Cochrane, and others, but nothing is below the belt. A book like this is bound to criticize people -- and many people are criticized, including Darden himself by Darden himself -- but the overwhelming criticism in my reading was Judge Ito's.

Every time Darden pointed out one of Ito's silly decisions, I had to put the book down, I was cracking up, a mixture of disbelief at what Ito had said, and realization of how off the wall he was. It was so bizarre! Darden's close-call with being in contempt at one point is presumably the basis of the book's title. It was a close call and, as you will read, the quick and strong response by Marcia Clark when he was risking going to jail, is hard to forget.

The book is very personal, dealing with private issues, most notably the battle of his brother with AIDS (during the trial), and his "almost romantic" relationship with Marcia Clark. Darden includes a fair amount of interesting accounts about his working relationship with Clark, but he never goes so far as to say they were anything besides very, very, very close friends. He is a bit coy in that regard, but he already divested more about him and her than one would have expected.

Although the book is very personal, it does not really make up its mind, feeling in many ways like a memoir, especially because of the sheer amount of content from his private life in his family situation, his relationship with Clark, and his early years growing up, but it is obviously in many ways the story of his professional life in a court-room drama, addressing the many issues of prosecuting the case.

My point is that in terms of its structure, there are serious flaws. It is understandable, however, that it would read like a memoir, because, by his own admission, Darden has retired. He claims in the book he is never going to practice law again; instead, he is going to continue teaching. He became too disillusioned with the legal system, he gave up on it, after fifteen years, choosing instead to prepare the lawyers of the future.

Darden is an effective writer. Anyone who is a lawyer one would expect to be an effective writer. If you are disappointed with the book, it will not be due to the writing, but because of its structure and organization. Although he is repetitive, it is perfectly understandable, because prosecuting requires repetition to be effective. You can be repetitive and effective; and, indeed, this is the first book I have read whose repetition did not take something away from the book, it only added to its strength.

In Contempt is a very readable book. Indeed, it is a page-turner, a book I could not easily put down. I stayed up very late reading this one! This, in many ways, is because of the way Darden describes the intense emotional and social dynamics which dominated the case. You feel as if you are in the courtroom. It was much more powerful reading the book than watching the case unfold live on television, even several years after the event.

A book like In Contempt is obviously going to be a defence of the prosecution -- which failed. To a small or large extent, then, it is going to be self-serving. That is indeed axiomatic, and an almost irrelevant point. My own take on writing books about the case, and there were many, is that people gave so much of their lives, for so long, they deserve what they get, and more; Darden, for example, worked 16-hour days continuously for a year. He worked until and after he had nothing left to give.

The immense personal sacrifice the author made is nothing less than astounding and outstanding. Not only did he work so hard for so long, Darden almost risked life and limb, totally living and working against the grain of black culture. He says he received death threats, and vividly recounts the time of being spat upon by another black man one day while driving to the court room. He managed to get his car window up, but not in time. Phones were ringing off the hook to insult him. The list goes on and on.

One of the most important stories in the book is the account of the circumstances surrounding the infamous glove which the defendant tried on in court. For a long time, while I still respected Darden as a man, I did not respect him as a lawyer, because of the glove. Yet he managed in the book to change my mind. His argument that the defence would have been able to get their client to try on the glove if they did not is compelling. It was a split-second type of decision, and Darden weighed the option carefully.

In my opinion, Darden is too hard on himself about the glove, just as others, both in the media, and the prosecution team. It would not have made any difference, as the physical evidence, according to an expert pundit, was sufficient to condemn several murderers, not only one, to a jury which had not already decided the verdict. One of the most fascinating series of stories in the book is the inner workings of the jury; indeed, those stories are worth the price of the book. They are revealing, shocking, unbelievable!

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.

There are a number of reviews here that talk about this books outline and no shortage of comments on the main subjects guilt or innocence. I, therefore, will just tell you my impressions of the book. All I wanted was details on the trial; I really did not care about his upbringing, college days, or pre trial work experience. As far as the trail info went, it was worth wading through the aforementioned items. The book just had a ton of good old fashion, gossip style details and facts that kept me interested until the end. The writing style was good and fast paced. The author also did a very good job of explaining his feelings throughout the book. To lose on such an important manner and in such a public way can be sole destroying and the author does a very credible job of describing it. Overall the book is interesting and well worth the time to read it.

I'm a California trial attorney (not criminal). Mr. Darden's book has value in demonstrating just exactly how a trial should NOT be approached. Mr. Darden has clearly misplaced his objective. While many disagree with the verdict, Mr. Darden knew (or should have known) at the outset, that we have an adversary system. His book attacks that theory and demonstates his unwillingness to accept it's presence and prepare for it. Instead he "whines" and "complains" about everyone and everything involved. Mr. Darden is an African-American attorney who is proud of his heritage, as he should be. But it is not an excuse for the reality of trial law. It is a factor to be dealt with just as any other. Mr. Darden continually attacks the "Dream Team" for their tactics, Judge Ito for his rulings and the jury for their reactions. Mr. Darden fails horribly in addressing his presence in the court and his opportunity to oppose all that he complains about. The book recounts his early years in Richmond, CA. and his relationship with his brother Michael. Many references are made to Micheal (who died of AIDS days before the verdict was announced) and his relationship with him. The decision to place Mr. Darden in the high pressure situation of the Simpson trial in light of his brother's condition is very questionable. He seemed extremely preoccupied with his brother. Mr. Darden seemed emotionally out of his league and should never have been assigned the task. If Mr. Darden made a mistake ( a rarity in his opinion) it was given very short shrift. If error occurred at another's hand, whether prosecution or defense, pages would be devoted to it. The "race card" was coming and any good lawyer would have seen it, prepared for it and, using appropriate legal decorum, fought it. Mr. Darden "whined" about it! He refused to be present in the courtroom when Mark Furhman "took the 5th". That was nothing short of childish. His responsibility was to be in that courtroom...not "whimpering in the corner" because he didn't "get his way"!! Professor Gerald Uelmen described this book accurately recently on "Larry King Live" when he desribed Mr. Darden's book as "pre-pubescent pouting". Mr. Darden states in his book that he doubts if he will ever practice law again. A wise decision!!

The beginning of this book packs a punch that will take your breath away as Darden, one of O.J.'s prosecutors, personally addresses the man he believes to be a savage murderer, and he holds back nothing. Speaking in a tone that tells O.J. he knows just what happened, how he watched Nicole that night from outside the window as she lit the candles around the tub, a ritual the two of them enjoyed together, but not anymore. He bludgeons O.J. with his words as he describes the rage he must have felt to know she had other lovers. Then he goes on to describe the frenzied murder that left Nicole's neck severed to the spinal cord and how an innocent Goldman showed up at the most inopportune time. It left me chilled.

This book is filled with facts. Indisputable facts that will leave you wondering how a murderer walked free. Darden goes into the race card played by Johnnie Cochran and how it threw all chances for justice away, leaving a jury that made a disastrous decision in a matter of minutes. This is a most enlightening book that paints a clear picture of the hours of testimony. The day the verdict was announced in court was the last day Darden would stand before a jury. He has now taken a teaching position where he can share his brilliance with those not yet tainted by the system. Kelsana 1/29/02

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.

I deeply admire Mr. Darden because of the way in which he fought for justice with so much honesty and dignity. The "Dream Team" got away with all they did thanks to their utterly despicable tactics. Both Mr. Darden and Marcia Clark fought for justice for Nicole Brown, Ron Goldman and their families. Darden recounts all that went on behind-the-scenes during O.J. Simpson's trial as well as recounting his personal life from his childhood up to the trial. Once you read this superb (and heart-rending) book, you WILL BE convinced of O.J. Simpson's guilt (and we all know that O.J. Simpson IS 1000% GUILTY of this horrible double-murder).

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!

The four hour acquittal of OJ Simpson on charges of ruthlessly knifing two human beings to death is one of the great failure stories in American justice.

And this book is written by one of the main people who allowed it to happen.

They may say that no publicity is bad publicity but it's certainly not true for this lawyer who spends nearly four hundred pages trying to place the finger of blame elsewhere.

The "in contempt" of the title of this book is an attempt at a clever double reference to the fact that OJ trial judge Lance Ito held Darden "in contempt" during the course of the proceedings and also the fact that for his part Darden most certainly holds Defendant Simpson "in contempt."

But it's also a clue to Darden's process in which he -- at all points possible -- tries to minimize a trial record or recast it in terms more favorable to himself.

For those who've blocked out 1995, it was a year just following the acquittal of the police officers invovled in the Rodney King beating. It was a year where annually the LAPD was paying out damage awards in the millions for excessive force in connection with African American suspects. And it was also a year where the African American LA community had no doubts that the LAPD was capable not only of beating African Americans but also manufacturing evidence to wrongfully convict them.

And in the case of California v. OJ Simpson, there was hardly a better poster child for police abuses that Detective Mark Fuhrman. In the early 1980s Fuhrman had made numerous racist references as part of an attempt to secure an early retirement from the LAPD. In 1985 he started a romantic liason with a woman who tape recorded their discussions, many of which involved more racist references by Fuhrman including numerous instances where he used the N word as a means of discussing African Americans.

But significantly, Fuhrman was not the first officer called when two bodies were discovered at the residence of Nicole Brown Simpson. Other police were already there to witness the two victims of OJ Simpson's brutal knife attack. Found at the scene were a stocking cap, a left handed glove and several drops of blood that didn't match to either of the victims.

However, the blood did match to OJ Simpson. The stocking cap had nine hairs from OJ Simpson. And significantly clothing worn by Ron Goldman, OJ Simpson's other victim, had fibers matching that of clothing worn by OJ Simpson.

Just a few miles away, OJ Simpson's Bronco was oddly parked outside his residence with blood evidence both inside and outside the vehicle connecting it to the crime scene. A blood trail existed between the Bronco and OJ Simpson's residence and the right handed mate to the left handed glove was found outside OJ Simpson's residence with blood traces from OJ Simpson and his victims.

Signficantly a limo driver tasked to take OJ Simpson to a red eye flight was at his residence just as the murders were taking place and was unable to make contact with OJ Simpson. But he did see a large African American male furtively entering OJ Simpson's residence just prior to when he finally made contact...a time that was clearly after the murder's had taken place.

In other words, OJ Simpson was connected with mulitple pieces of incriminating evidence at both the crime scene and his residence AND he had no alibi.

Conventional wisdom at the time said there could hardly have been more evidence favoring conviction other than if OJ Simpson had confessed and/or recorded the crime.

So what happened? How did the case go from being open and shut to...well...just shut.

To hear Darden tell it, it was everyone else's fault. His superiors didn't listen when he tried to warn them about how bad a of a witness Fuhrman would ultimately be. Judge Ito granted defense requests that basically guaranteed acquittal. And most importantly, according to Darden, the LAPD themselves let everyone down with their handling of the evidence and their poor trial presentation as witnesses.

I think I would've liked this book a lot better had Darden been more willing to fess up to his personal responsibility in dropping the ball. Although he admitted he suggested a tactic at trial where OJ Simpson was asked to try on the gloves and he also admitted that that tactic failed, he didn't admit to much more. (Simpson, the B actor that he was, made the simple act of putting on the gloves look like he was getting into an iron maiden.) In a year long trial, he ducked examining witnesses and for those witnesses he examined he didn't spend the kind of preparation time necessary to make them trial ready. He collaborated with his co-prosecutor Marcia Clark in not presenting key evidence that could have helped support conviction. A great example of this was testimony on the issue of the discovery of the glove. While fourteen officer could have testified in support of the idea that the glove was where Fuhrman said it was, the prosecutors for reason only presented two of them. Another example of evidence not presented was the failure to enter either the evidence of Simpson apprehension (which included a slow speed higly publicized chase) and a suicide note written by Simpson. Though Simpson tried to be self serving evidence could have been presented showing inconsistencies in Simpson's factual statements as well as evidence of a guilty mind on Simpson's part. Yet another example of evidence not presented was Simpson's statement to the police which though self serving confirmed that Simpson couldn't even explain simple things like his whereabouts at the time of the crime or how he came to sustain nine cuts on the same hand for which a glove was found at the crime scene.

Long story short: while Darden was not THE captain of the Titanic, he was most certainly A captain of the Titanic and this book would have been a lot better if he would've just admitted it.