Rating: 
Summary: It doesn't matter. . .
Review: if you believe O.J. did it or not (and he did) what matters is that Chris Darden stood up for what he believed and that was for the rights of two dead people. I didn't like Chris Darden until I read his book, but now I do!
Rating: 
Summary: Personal and Professional
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent.
Review: It allowed me to see into the man who is probably the most honest, sincere man in America. If you had more lawyers like him, searching for true justice, America would not have freed OJ Simpson. As a Canadian, and our system has flaws too, I can only say I would be outraged as an American that the racism that smoked out the real issues in this trial, was in fact the very same racism that let a double murderer go free. Shame on all of us. Empathy for Chis Darden and Marcia Clark. There are four hereos in this story 1) Nicole Brown, 2)Ron Goldman 3)Chris Darden and 4)Marcia Clark.
Rating:
Summary: Terric insight to the "Trial of the Century" & the players.
Review: Mr. Darden's autobiography in the first one-third of the
book was truly enlightening. He had the same objective
insight throughout his account of the trial. I was amazed
at not only the honest comments of the defense team, but
comments so truthful about his own character. I believe he
is one of the true heros (if there are any) of this trial.
He has integrity and character beyond his years. Great
reading!!
Thank you Chris,
Beth
Rating: 
Summary: Read why no jurors were persuaded
Review: Several reviewers have pointed out the chief positive feature of this book: it may make you disrespect Mr. Darden less. I had hoped to get more insight into the famous glove incident. The account herein may be exactly what Darden's reasoning was. If so, more's the pity! Darden did not want to let the Dream Team run a scam so he ran it for them? Good thinking! Dershowitz's account of the glove incident, baffling though I find that account, is superior: F. Lee Bailey impugned Darden's manhood and Darden, like a rube, fell for it. Of course, the glove demonstration did not much impress anyone (including the jurors, I suspect) beyond showing that the Amateur Hour had returned to television. Darden's rank speculations about Simpson's motives are no compelling in this book than they were in the trial. In sum, read this book if you would understand just how incredible the prosecutors were.
Rating:
Summary: Read why no jurors were persuaded
Review: Several reviewers have pointed out the chief positive feature of this book: it may make you disrespect Mr. Darden less. I had hoped to get more insight into the famous glove incident. The account herein may be exactly what Darden's reasoning was. If so, more's the pity! Darden did not want to let the Dream Team run a scam so he ran it for them? Good thinking! Dershowitz's account of the glove incident, baffling though I find that account, is superior: F. Lee Bailey impugned Darden's manhood and Darden, like a rube, fell for it. Of course, the glove demonstration did not much impress anyone (including the jurors, I suspect) beyond showing that the Amateur Hour had returned to television. Darden's rank speculations about Simpson's motives are no compelling in this book than they were in the trial. In sum, read this book if you would understand just how incredible the prosecutors were.
Rating:
Summary: A personal message from Darden to O.J.
Review: 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
Rating: 
Summary: Some good information but self serving to a fault.
Review: The first 100 pages or so were packed with insight into Mr. Dardens early years and the start of this case. Later in the book he becomes too self serving as to his role in the Prosecuting Teams screw up of what should have been a "Cake Walk" trial
Rating:
Summary: chris is my hero
Review: the glove points to you know who...
Rating:
Summary: Just another racist
Review: 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.
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