Chris Darden is no longer representing Eric Holder, the man accused of murdering Nipsey Hussle. The former prosecutor-turned-defense attorney filed a motion to formally withdraw from the case due in part to receiving death threats, he revealed in a lengthy Facebook post Friday (May 10).
“As a lawyer it is my duty to protect the rights of my clients even in the face of threats or angry mobs,” Darden wrote. “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..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,” he continued before referencing the O.J. Simpson murder trial which he prosecuted alongside Marsha Clock. “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. F**K 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.”
In closing, Darden said that his “ mission” won’t be deterred by the “lies and threats.”
Holder, 29, pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He is currently
jailed on $5 million bail.
Read Darden’s Facebook announcement below.