In Contempt

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 Americans. 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. 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 abo