2 figures from the O.J. Simpson trial in the news again

Two familiar names from the murder trial of O.J. Simpson are back in the news.

Retired Judge Lance Ito, who presided over 1994’s “Trial of the Century,” has endorsed Christopher Darden for a seat on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Darden’s campaign announced on Monday.

Darden, 67, was a lead prosecutor in the Simpson case along with Marcia Clark.

The former NFL running back and actor was ultimately acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, but a jury found him liable for their deaths in a civil lawsuit three years later.

Before Ito became a judge, he and Darden worked together as prosecutors in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s “Hard Core Gangs” unit, according to his campaign.

“I have always had tremendous respect for Judge Lance Ito. As a prosecutor, a Judge and retired jurist, Judge Ito has always conducted himself with the utmost professionalism and sets the standard for fairness on the bench,” Darden said in a statement. “I am so honored to have his support as I now seek a seat on the Superior Court.”

After leaving the D.A.’s office, Darden became a legal commentator, author and professor of criminal law. He is currently a defense attorney with New York-based Metcalf & Metcalf.

In 2019, Darden briefly represented Eric Holder, the man eventually convicted of murdering L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle. But he dropped out of the case after he and his family received death threats, he said.

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