Christopher Darden, the attorney representing Nipsey Hussle’s alleged murderer Eric Holder, is quitting the case. Darden, a former city prosecutor from the O.J. Simpson murder trial, filed a motion to withdraw as Holder’s defense attorney following death threats to him and his family. “I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice,” writes Darden in a Facebook post. “Or why defending such a man should invite threats not only against me but against my children too.” While he didn’t reveal the exact reasons behind his withdrawal (“I don’t know whether I will disclose them later or not”), he did have a message for those who threatened his life and his family’s. “To those who issued those threats to my children please pay close attention so there is no misunderstanding. Later. FUCK YOU!” he says. “As for me, I continue to thrive. I continue to be loved. I continue to walk with kings. And I will continue my pursuit of fairness and justice on behalf of my clients and others charged with crimes.” Darden’s decision to defend Holder has been controversial, receiving backlash from the hip-hop community. But that hasn’t swayed him. “I will continue my pursuit of fairness and justice on behalf of my clients and others charged with crimes,” he adds. “After 25 years some of them still haven’t learned : Their lies and threats will never deter me from my mission.” Holder has a hearing scheduled for Friday in L.A. Superior Court, which Darden says will be the last time he makes an appearance in court in the case. Last month, Holder was arrested and charged with one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon following the fatal shooting of Nipsey outside of his Marathon Clothing store.<doc-sep>Attorney Chris Darden, who prosecuted the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995, has filed a motion to withdraw from the defense team for the man accused of killing Nipsey Hussle. Darden announced his filing Friday on Facebook and explained that his family was receiving death threats for his representation of Eric Ronald Holder Jr., 29, who entered a plea of not guilty last month in the death of the beloved rapper and activist. Darden said he could not understand why some people would wish to "deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice." "Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change," Darden wrote. "These days these cowards don’t send letters instead they sit anonymously behind keyboards threatening a man’s mother and children. And some folks think that’s funny." Hussle, 33, was gunned down in the parking lot of his clothing store, The Marathon Clothing, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on March 31. He died at the hospital from gunshot wounds to the head and torso, authorities said. Two other men were injured in the shooting but survived, according to police. Holder was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Despite his decision to withdraw from Holder's case, Darden said Friday that he would not be deterred from his overall mission. "I continue to be loved. I continue to walk with kings," Darden wrote. "And I will continue my pursuit of fairness and justice on behalf of my clients and others charged with crimes." Darden's daughter, Jenee, said last month on her social media pages that she received "vile comments and messages." The Darden family is no stranger to controversy. During the 1995 Simpson trial — when the ex-NFL player was acquitted of murder in the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman — Darden was criticized as being a “traitor” to his race for his role in prosecuting Simpson. His family and friends were followed by paparazzi and people who saw Simpson's case as unjust, Darden told NBC News in 2017. “It was a very dangerous time for me,” Darden said. “It was not uncommon to have a police car parked on the street at my parents’ home. We were under constant surveillance and being harassed."<doc-sep>Eric Holder, the Los Angeles man accused in the shooting death of Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle, was to appear in court Friday for the first time since he pleaded not guilty in April – but without his high-profile lawyer by his side. Holder, 29, had been represented at his plea hearing last month by former Los Angeles prosecutor Christopher Darden, who helped prosecute (unsuccessfully) O.J. Simpson at his 1994-95 murder trial, and later became a high-profile defense attorney. But on Friday, Darden filed a motion to withdraw from the case, citing death threats. In a Facebook post, Darden attacked unnamed people who threatened him and his family and pointed out America's centuries-long history of black men being lynched or convicted without a defense attorney. "I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice. Or why defending such a man should invite threats not only against me but against my children too," Darden wrote. He said he didn't know whether he would disclose his reasons for withdrawing from the case later. "I only know that as a lawyer it is my duty to protect the rights of my clients even in the face of threats or angry mobs," he wrote. Holder will now be represented by an attorney in the public defender’s office and another preliminary hearing was set for June 12, according to Greg Risling, spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, which otherwise had no comment on the developments in the case. Darden was a surprise presence at Holder's plea hearing, with scores of people taking to Twitter to wonder how he could afford Darden, and why Darden agreed to defend someone accused of killing a beloved figure among Angelenos. When asked outside the courtroom why he took the case, Darden told The Los Angeles Times: “I defend poor people — that’s all I do. And he’s definitely poor.” Holder is facing a charge of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack outside Hussle's South Los Angeles clothing store on March 31. Holder is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The criminal complaint includes allegations that he "personally used a firearm and caused great bodily injury and death," according to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Holder was arrested April 2 after a nearly 48-hour manhunt. If convicted, Holder faces life in prison. He is being held on $5 million bail, according to county jail records. Hussle, 33, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was a beloved rapper, generous philanthropist, reliable friend, self-taught computer builder and charismatic hustler, according to the many eulogies delivered at an April 11 memorial attended by thousands at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, including celebrities such as Beyonce and Jay Z. Since his death, the tabloid coverage has focused on disputes over custody of one of his two children, 10-year-old daughter Emani Asghedom, between his siblings and the child's mother.<doc-sep>
Photo : Francine Orr ( Getty ) Chris Darden, an attorney best known for his part in prosecuting the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial, says he is withdrawing from his role representing Eric Holder, the man charged with gunning down Nipsey Hussle (born Ermias Asghedom) , citing personal reasons. Darden announced his withdrawal in a fiery Facebook post on Friday afternoon, which he said would mark the last time he would appear in court alongside Holder. While the famed attorney didn’t give explicit reasons for pulling out of the Nipsey Hussle murder case, Darden mentioned that he and his family had received death threats following his decision to defend Holder. “I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice,” Darden wrote, likening the threats to the responses he received during the Simpson trial. “Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change,” he added. Here’s Darden’s full statement: You guys have been awfully good to me and my family. Thank you. I am on my way to appear for the last time in People v. Holder. I filed a Motion to Withdraw from the case. I thought I should tell you, my friends, first & before anyone else. As for my reasons for withdrawing I don’t know whether I will disclose them later or not. I only know that as a lawyer it is my duty to protect the rights of my clients even in the face of threats or angry mobs. This is the silent solemn oath we took as defense counsel. This is the legacy made for me and all of us who practice as defense counsel in the criminal courts. But allow me to say this; After centuries of a history of black men hung from trees without trial, or after the thousands of cases of black men tried, convicted and executed without counsel; after Gideon v. Wainwright & Powell v. Alabama, I cannot understand why in 2019 some people would deny a black man his 6th Amendment right to counsel of his choice. Or why defending such a man should invite threats not only against me but against my children too. The right to counsel is is not only a constitutional right, it is a civil right as well. Just as they were in 1995-Cowards never change. These days these cowards don’t send letters instead they sit anonymously behind keyboards threatening a man’s mother and children. And some folks think that’s funny. It isn’t and I won’t ever forget it. To those who issued those threats to my children please pay close attention so there is no misunderstanding. Later. FUCK YOU! As for me, I continue to thrive. I continue to be loved. I continue to walk with kings. And I will continue my pursuit of fairness and justice on behalf of my clients and others charged with crimes. After 25 years some of them still haven’t learned : Their lies and threats will never deter me from my mission. Thank you again my good friends. The struggle continues. Thank you.﻿ Wowowow. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times outside a downtown courtroom on Friday, Darden reminded the paper that he’s been defending accused criminals for 20 years—including other gang members like Holder. When asked what drew him to Holder’s case specifically, Darden told the Times it was personal, adding, “I defend poor people—that’s all I do. And he’s definitely poor.”