Christopher Darden

It was with great interest that I began reading Gayle Pollard Terry’s interview with Christopher Darden (Opinion, June 4). And it was with great sadness as I finished the article. The summation of Darden’s feelings regarding his deep concerns as to whether or not to continue the practice of law has haunted my thoughts.

I know nothing about him, but my sense is that as a community of citizens and fellow life travelers, losing Darden from the court system would be one of the more profound tragedies of this entire regrettable proceeding.

A great deal of my personal time is spent with abused children as a court-appointed advocate. Much of that time is observing the criminal justice system. Over these six years of involvement my respect has grown for those people who prosecute criminal cases.

I wish there were a significant way to encourage and applaud all that Christopher Darden and others like him are doing.

EVELYN GIBSON

Long Beach

Pity Darden, the self-described “victim” of a (surprise!) “imperfect” legal system. Given an opportunity that most trial lawyers would give their eyeteeth for, poor Darden wallows in self-pity. “I’d like to go to heaven,” he says. He sounds more like a guilty defendant than a prosecutor! He ought to be ashamed of himself--not for prosecuting O.J. Simpson, but for his own self-indulgent sniveling in this interview.

JAMES V. KOSNETT

Los Angeles

Caught up in this maelstrom of a trial is a sincere man--Darden. He is in a frustrating situation against lawyers who have proven that the best defense is to be offensive. He has shown the most integrity among petty, badgering, grandstanding, media-grabbing, agenda-advancing lawyers. There are many who respect and admire Darden; he might even give lawyers a good name.

TRACY GORE

West Hollywood