O.J. Simpson – Amid claims that Johnnie Cochran, the lead defense attorney during the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson, tampered with evidence in order to gain a not guilty verdict, another member of Simpson’s legal defense team has come forward to defend the legitimacy of the trial. Attorney Shawn Holley released a statement to the Los Angeles Times, directly attacking former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Christopher Darden for his claims against Cochran.
During a panel discussion on the Simpson trial at Pace Law School on Thursday, Darden, who had participated as a member of the prosecution, accused Cochran of tampering with one of the now famous gloves in the case. Gloves with the blood of one of Simpson’s accused victims, Ronald Goldman, were found at the crime scene, and presented as evidence during the trial. However, when asked to put the gloves on during court, Simpson struggled to put them on. “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit,” Cochran told the jury during one of the trials most captivating moments.
“I think Johnnie tore the lining. There were some additional tears in the lining so that O.J.’s fingers couldn’t go all the way up into the glove.” Darden said during the panel in New York City. During a follow-up interview on Friday, Darden maintained his stance. “A bailiff told me the defense had it during the lunch hour. It’s been my suspicion for a long time that the lining has been manipulated.”
Holley fired back at Darden’s accusations, which come more than 15 years after the end of the trial. “Mr. Darden’s self-serving assertion that Johnnie Cochran tampered with the glove — or any piece of evidence — is false, malicious and slanderous,” Holley wrote. “Almost 20 years later, it seems Mr. Darden is still trying to exculpate himself from one of the biggest blunders in the history of jurisprudence.”
While Simpson was not convicted for the murder of Ronald Goldman or his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson, he was found liable for their deaths in 1997 by a civil court, a decision that ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the victim’s families. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a successful actor, Simpson is now serving up to 33 years in jail for a 2007 armed robbery.
