Chris Darden, a lawyer widely known for being one of the prosecutors during the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial, agreed to represent Eric Holder, the 29-year-old man accused of fatally shooting rapper and philanthropist Nipsey Hussle. Holder's alleged involvement in the murder of such a beloved member of the hip-hop community warrants courtroom publicity on its own; however, with Chris Darden representing the defendant, the trial will likely be heavily scrutinized.
During an arraignment hearing Thursday, Darden entered a not-guilty plea on his client's behalf for charges of murder, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm by a felon. As the judge set Holder's bail at $5 million, the defendant nervously surveyed the courtroom while the highly publicized trial was underway.
Meek Mill took to Twitter Friday to condemn Darden's decision to represent Holder, a move he referred to as representative of "self hate" within "the black community."
The rapper posted a screenshot of a news article reporting on Darden's legal representation of Holder with the caption, "As self hate continues in the black community #housenigga." Meek followed up with a tweet that read, "We at war with the system and the streets!!! #forevernip."
As noted by the Washington Post, the O.J. Simpson trial was "fraught with racial overtones," prompting numerous individuals within the black community to label Darden a "race traitor" for prosecuting such a successful black man. Others placed blame on Darden for infamously asking O.J. to try on the glove, which is often cited as being the basis for Simpson's acquittal. In the context of Eric Holder's trial, many people on Twitter were quick to point out the patterns Darden has exhibited with his cases.
The next court proceeding in the Eric Holder trial will take place on May 10.
