Eric Holder, the alleged gunman of Nipsey Hussle, defended by Chris Darden, former O.J. Simpson Attorney

Dressed in a light blue prison shirt and matching pants, Eric Holder's eyes widened stealthily from side to side as he paced the crowded courtroom. But as the holder was Charged with having murdered Nipsey Hussle, rapper and darling organizer of the Grammy Awards, his opinion was often obstructed by the man in glasses standing straight in front of him: his lawyer, Christopher Darden.

Thursday's tense environment should sound familiar to the long-time litigator. More than 20 years ago, he was at the center of another high-profile murder case in Los Angeles that caused a shockwave throughout the city and country. Only at the time, Darden was still at the Los Angeles County Attorney's Office and his job was to convince a jury that O.J. Simpson was guilty of brutally murdering his ex-wife and another man.

Darden's central role in this highly charged, racially charged trial sparked a public outcry as some Blacks described him as a "racial traitor" and other observers blamed his audience strategy on the race. ultimate acquittal of Simpson.

In defending the incumbent, Darden, now 62, is again vilified by some members of the black community, finding themselves on the wrong side of public opinion in an explosive affair in which many seek justice for the loss of a talented musician who has dedicated his life to the world. improvement of his community. Darden did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday and declined to speak to reporters at the courthouse.

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But as Darden has clearly explained in the past, a negative public opinion has rarely prevented him from doing what he believes to be right.

"I understand that some black prosecutors have a name for the pressure they feel from community members who blame them for getting up and convicting black criminals," he said. Darden writes in his 1996 book, "In Contempt", published after Simpson's acquittal. . "They call it the" dilemma of Darden ".

"It's probably not the future I dreamed about these summer nights on the porch of my parents, but it's a truth that makes me proud. I hope that, thanks to what I have done, my children and their children will have an easier time questioning the status quo and defending what is right. "

Born April 7, 1956, Darden was one of eight children and grew up in Richmond, California, about 18 km north of San Francisco. Her mother spent most of her time raising her children and, when they were older, she worked in a cafeteria. Meanwhile, his father held three jobs: he worked as a welder in a shipyard, as a laborer and as a part-time slave on bail. Darden's father has also acquired "the reputation of an old blue-collar lawyer," he writes, helping colleagues or sailors to prosecute discrimination and other types of unfair treatment. .

"[F]or, as long as someone remembered, I was walking around saying that I was going to become a lawyer someday, "wrote Darden.

Darden knew no lawyer, but it did not matter. He knew their way of life and wanted it for himself.

"I knew that they were making a lot of money, that they were dressed well and that they had the power, a rare commodity," he wrote. "When you grow up in Richmond, it can be exhilarating to imagine a way out of it." Being a lawyer was like that for me. I had no idea what a lawyer was doing. it was as if you were imagining a place as far away as you have ever been, a fantastic country where you can drive whatever you want and eat as much as you can. "

In the spring of 1977, Darden graduated with a BA in Criminal Justice and a minor in Criminology from San Jose State University. He then obtained his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and passed the state bar examination – widely regarded as one of the most difficult of the country – first time.

After a brief stint at the Los Angeles National Labor Relations Board, Darden went to the district attorney's office in the early 1980s. As a young attorney, Darden wrote that he had gained a reputation "Irreverence and unconsciousness" and had developed a "fiery and aggressive style" in the audience room.

Darden's workload has ranged from petty crime to murder, gangs and police violence. In the late 1980s, he was involved in the state affair with Joseph Danks, the "Koreatown Slasher," accused of murdering six people and attempting to kill two others during a war. series of stab wounds.

Then, Simpson, football hero of the birthplace of California and famous in the world, was arrested in June 1994 and accused of stabbing to death his ex-wife Nicole Brown and his server Ron Goldman.

As an experienced attorney with many convictions to his credit, Darden wrote that he felt he would play a role in Simpson's case, but he "did not look forward to it." ". It had been 13 years since he was a prosecutor and I have not taken a real vacation. He was tired.

And there was also the ominous warning of his father.

"You're going to have hell if you work on that one," said Darden's father in the book. "There will be hell to pay, you work on that one."

"So, do you think I should not be involved?" Replied Darden.

"No," said his father. "I did not say that. You must do what you must do. You must do what you think is right. "

As he had predicted, Marcia Clark, one of the leading prosecutors in the Simpson case, finally approached Darden. Bill Hodgman, the other prosecutor in charge of the case, told him that he would remain mostly in the background. He was "relieved".

"That meant no TV, which meant I did not have to worry about all the friends in Southern California wondering if I was betraying my race," Darden wrote, adding that he had "a duty to the prosecutor's office, families of the victims, and even to the black community" to work on the case.

Simpson's 11-month trial shook the country and, in a racially discriminated city, the issue of double murder was quickly overshadowed by race issues.

These circumstances may explain why Darden became the first lawyer to appear before the jury and present the final plea of ​​the prosecution, wrote Jeffrey Toobin in the 1996 book "The Race of His Life: The People". O.J. Simpson. "

"The fact that it was Chris Darden who started the proceedings showed how the prosecution had evolved in the months leading up to the trial," wrote Toobin. "Racial tensions in the case have made the logic of the addition of Darden even more convincing. The case needed a black prosecutor.

But as critics have since asserted, Darden's leading role in the trial probably did more harm than good to the prosecution's case. Many have pointed to the moment Darden forced Simpson to try blood-stained leather gloves, which resulted in Johnnie Cochran's famous phrase, "If the glove does not suit you, you have to do it." ; pay ". – as a turning point.

"The glove demonstration provided the classic example of Darden's deficiencies as a litigator – his impetuosity, immaturity, his inability to prepare himself or to prepare his witnesses," wrote Toobin.

Even Darden knew that he had made a costly mistake.

"I knew what the damage was," he wrote in his book. "People are asking me now if I would do it again. No of course not."

Following Simpson's acquittal, it was unclear whether Darden would return to court, wrote William Booth of the Washington Post in October 1995.

"I do not know if I ever want to try another case," Darden told the Los Angeles Times in June of that year. "I do not know if I ever want to practice law again."

He then added, "Frankly, I am ashamed to be part of this affair. I am not ashamed of the efforts of our team. We have a great team, a great team. I will not trade it. But I hope that my participation in this business is not the legacy I leave.

More than two decades have passed since the Simpson trial and at that time, Darden left the prosecutor's office and became a defense lawyer, opening his own law firm. He has also been a commentator on many cable news networks, including CNN, NBC, and Fox News.

According to Bleacher Report, Darden recently made headlines for former NFL player Brandon Browner, who appealed a murder conviction.

On Thursday, Darden was held in front of Holder to block cameras, according to CBS Los Angeles, while he pleaded not guilty on behalf of his client. At least six deputies with their face carved in stone also surrounded Holder, who arrived at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in a high security squad car, the news channel reported. After his arrest Tuesday, Mr. Holder has received numerous threats on social media, according to the Times.

The bond of the bearer was set at $ 5 million; his next hearing is May 10.

When news spread that Darden was defending Holder, social media exploded, many critical of the lawyer. At the beginning of Friday, the name Darden was still a very trendy term on Twitter.