Christopher Darden, the black prosecutor who unsuccessfully took on OJ Simpson in that OTHER criminal case, is seeking to join the bench. Hope he doesn't also have television aspirations, because there will be one less African American jurist on daytime as Sony adjourns Glenda Hatchette's court gig.Christopher Darden, is under consideration for appointment as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, Three Brothers has learned.
Several lawyers, including members of the O.J. Simpson (what's he up to lately?) defense team, reported receiving questionnaires from the State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. Simpson defense lawyer Carl Douglas said he was surprised to have received a questionnaire, because he didn’t know that Darden, whom he has known for over 20 years, had aspirations to sit on the bench.
Douglas said that Darden may have been “a little off balance” after Simpson was acquitted. Darden left the District Attorney’s office soon after that and taught at Southwestern Law School for a time before going into private practice. In the 12 years since the trial, however, Douglas said, Darden “has grown as a person and a lawyer, and has served many years as a criminal and civil defense attorney” whose “broad experience” would make him a good judge.
Another Simpson defense attorney, Robert Shapiro, said he had rated Darden “extremely well-qualified” on the questionnaire he returned to the JNE commission. He noted Darden’s “balanced” experience as both a prosecutor and a defense lawyer, and pointed to Darden’s experience as a law professor, saying that Darden has the requisite knowledge for the position.
“I would be happy to appear in front of him,” Shapiro said.
If appointed, Darden would be the third Simpson prosecutor to become a judge, following in the footsteps of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg and San Diego Superior Court Judge George “Woody” Clarke.Gavel Drops on Original Production of Sony’s Judge Hatchett.
Meanwhile across the way over in Hollywood, Sony Pictures Television’s Judge Hatchett is going out of original production after this year. Rumor is they didn't want to pay her honor the $2 mil a year she was demanding. Sony, however, hopes to keep the show on the air.
The studio is pitching TV stations “theme weeks” -- around such topics as divorce or interventions -- comprised of repeats. Judge Hatchett, featuring Judge Glenda Hatchett, is in its eighth season, giving the studio plenty of episodes to choose from.