Former Prosecutor Chris Darden Reflects on Asking OJ Simpson to Try On the Gloves
The attorney said, "He's a better actor than I thought he was."
— -- After the airing of the five-part documentary "O.J.: Made in America," Christopher Darden, a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, is reflecting on the case.
Simpson, who is now serving a 33-year prison sentence for armed robbery, was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in the 1994 trial.
Darden, now 60, asked Simpson to try on the gloves thought to be used in the murder, and it became one of the most memorable moments of the nine-month trial. When the gloves did not appear to fit that day in the courtroom, it had a powerful influence on public opinion. The Johnnie Cochran, one of Simpson's defense attorneys, came up with his now infamous courtroom argument "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."
Darden said today on "The View" that he doesn't think it was a "bad moment" for the trial.
"I think it's a wonderful moment, actually," he said. "A lot has been said about these gloves. I sit back and watch my former friends and former colleagues talk about that. I think they're being disingenuous in some ways."
"I stood there with him. I let him put those gloves on. Why not? They're his gloves," Darden continued. "And the gloves fit the same way they had always fit him."
Darden later deadpanned, "He's a better actor than I thought he was."
He reminded the audience of another pivotal moment in the trial, when Simpson, now 68, allegedly confessed to the murders while in jail. Darden, the author of "In Contempt," recalled, "We heard that he confessed to [minister and former football player] Rosey Grier during the trial," adding that the prosecution wasn't "allowed access" to the details of that conversation.
He said the constant threats and racial tensions — with many critics calling him an Uncle Tom or a sell-out — made it difficult to try one of the most discussed trials in recent history. The trial was recently the subject of an FX miniseries as well as the ESPN documentary.
"It's offensive," he said of being called an Uncle Tom. "It made it difficult for me because other people in the community reacted to it. There were threats toward me, my family, my children, so that created a whole other level of stress. It really made it difficult to prosecute the case and to focus on the case."
Darden added that although he "admired" Simpson, he ultimately felt that the former NFL star committed the crimes.
"[Simpson] probably found the real killer in a Nevada prison ... which is where he is now," Darden said.
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