In Contempt

New York: ReganBooks An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Inc., 1996. BOOK: Corners, Spine Bumped; Light Shelf Rub to Boards; Edges Lightly Soiled. DUST JACKET: Lightly Creased; Lightly Chipped; In Archival Quality Jacket Cover. BOOK NUMBER: 0496P. DESIGNED BY: Laura Lindgren. JACKET PHOTOGRAPHS: AP/Wide World Photos. JACKET DESIGN: Heller New York. SYNOPSIS: For more than a year, Christopher Darden argued passionately and tirelessly, giving voice to the victims in the O. J. Simpson murder trial. But few people knew that he was fighting a deeper, more insidious battle--against racism that came from all sides. When the case was over and O. J. Simpson was set free, the disheartened prosecutor bore the anguish and disillusionment of millions of American. He also carried wounds that perhaps no other black person has ever felt as deeply. Now, out of the sensational frenzy of the "trial of the century" comes a haunting and poignant memoir of duty, justice, and the constant, powerful undertow of American bigotry. "As a young man, racism seemed to me a single-edged knife, one that whites used to hold blacks down. Now I see that our own racism can be as dangerous and insidious as that which we have battled for centuries. I see racism in people who purport to represent all African Americans. I see racism in a community that refuses to hold one of its own responsible. I see racism in myself. It is wrong. We cannot defeat their racism with our own; we cannot defeat bigotry by cheating justice. Christopher Darden's In Contempt is an unflinching look at a justice system kidnapped by a racist cop, shameless defense lawyers, a starstruck judge, and a dysfunctional jury. It shows what the television cameras couldn't: behind-the-scenes meetings where Darden tried to determine whether detective Mark Fuhrman was telling the truth about his racist views; deteriorating relationships between the defense and prosecution teams, with taunting, baiting, and a pushing match between Darden and Simpson; a judge who let the case get out of control while he collected hourglasses from fans and invited celebrities into his chambers Darden is stunningly candid about his own performance--including the brash decision to put the gloves on Simpson--and details the inner workings of the largest prosecution team in California history. He also recounts the strong relationship forged between himself and Marcia Clark, who was exhausted by the pressures of a bitter ex-husband and demeaning treatment from other lawyers and the judge. Ultimately, In Contempt transcends the O. J. Simpson case. It takes its place amid a rich legacy of struggler, loss, and triumph in African-American literature. It is the tale of one man's journey to self-discovery and courage. Raised in a poor, working-class neighborhood in Richmond, California, Darden was a product of the civil rights movement. Bused to a mostly white school where he was encouraged to take metal shop, Darden dreamed instead of becoming a lawyer. After years of "thieving and conniving" Darden and his older brother, Michael, began taking separate paths--Christopher to the opportunities that were opening to blacks in the 1970s, and Michael to drug addiction, the streets, and, eventually, AIDS. For fifteen years, Christopher Darden worked as a Deputy District Attorney, using the same passion to prosecute racist cops, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members that he later showed in the Simpson case. With every defendant--black or white, rich or poor--he had one simple goal: justice. The trial of the century was no different. Challenged by lead defense attorney Johnnie Cochran from the moment he took the case, criticized in his own community as an Uncle Tom, Darden stood up and argued before the jury and America that O. J. Simpson wasn't above the law. "No one is above the law; not the police, not the rich, no one." In a country stunned by the wide gulf in perspective among the races, In Contempt is an important book, one that challenges Americans to turn the civil rights debate toward the ideas that truly matter. "Somehow," says Darden, "we have allowed the murder trial of a simple football player to define race relations in America." In Contempt is a stunning masterpiece told with brutal honesty and courage, the rare story of one man who refused to choose between his heritage and his humanity. Christopher Darden is a fifteen-year veteran of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and an Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern university School of Law. One of the key prosecutors in the case of The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson, he lives in Los Angeles, California. Jess Walter is an award-winning journalist and the author of Every Knee Shall Bow. He lives with his wife and daughter in Spokane, Washington.. First Edition 7th Printing. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.