LiveWorld Transcripts

Time Warner Bookmark presents

Christopher Darden
Author of "L.A. Justice"

January 11, 2001

Former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney Christopher Darden, who assisted on O.J. Simpson trial, chats about his new book, “L.A. Justice,” about an assistant district attorney who takes on an accused killer who is either a psychopath or innocent.

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TWBookmark: Welcome to Time Warner Bookmark! Warner Books is proud to introduce our special guest, Christopher Darden, author of "L.A. Justice." The former Los Angeles prosecutor's new legal thriller features an ambitious assistant district attorney, Nikki Hill, and her homicide detective lover as they take on an accused killer who is either a psychopath or innocent of the crime. Welcome to Talk City, Chris! Hello Everyone! When did you first decide to write for a living?

Christopher Darden: I began writing in the 4th grade. As a matter of fact, I produced a play for the entire school. It was about Leif Ericson and the discovery of America. I gained great reviews and went on to produce and direct a number of plays throughout my elementary school years. After the trial, I wrote "In Contempt" and a novel called "The Trials of Nikki Hill," also on Warner Books. Writing is hard work, but a lot of fun, too. It allows me to live out some of my fantasies.

CC498: The outcome of the O.J. trial must have been so devastating for you. How long did it take you to emotionally recover from that? Was writing "In Contempt" your way of dealing with the anger and frustration?

Christopher Darden: In some ways I'm still recovering from the trial. My health is not as good as it ought to be. I've gone back to practicing law and it seems to have taken a toll for whatever reason. I suppose that one of the reasons I wrote "In Contempt" was because of the money. After the trial I came to realize that there were things that I needed to do if I was to protect myself and my family, so there were some selfish reasons for it. We wrote "In Contempt" in a piecemeal fashion. One day, the former DA of Denver called me and asked me if the book was done and what I thought of it. I had just finished putting the chapters together and I had just finished reading the book and I was devastated. I did not think that I was angry, but clearly anger was reflected in my writing. I did not think that I had been affected emotionally, but it was clear from my writing that I was still very emotional about the trial some six months after it ended. I have a copy of "In Contempt" - a gold leaf copy. I never read it because it's too painful to read. So, I don't know what the therapeutic value to attach to writing the book, but the trial is in the past and I have to move on. And that's what I'm trying to do with "L.A. Justice."

Primrose: You have also turned to teaching the law. What type of advice do you give to those that are entering the profession?

Christopher Darden: I no longer teach law. But when I did I advised my students that they should never accept a case if it meant that by doing so you couldn't sleep at night. The pressure on the trial lawyers is tremendous, and some people don't handle the pressure well. They really shouldn't handle difficult cases.

Lawyer Friend: As a child, did you have someone that increased your interests in law or something that inspired you?

Christopher Darden: The events of the day inspired me to become a lawyer. My grandparents and parents urged me to go to school and do well in school so that at the end of the day I'd have options, choices. I chose to go to law school because I thought that someday, somehow I'd make a difference.

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