Court TV Host: Our guest, Christopher Darden is here...hello!

Court TV Host: In the Carruth case, what do you expect to see in closing arguments, and what do you think each side has to do?

Christopher Darden: You can expect the prosecution speech that includes fire and brimstone. The D.A. has the advantage, and the case appears to be one that he should win. He has motive. He has a very sympathetic victim, a victim who has identified Carruth from the grave and whose death-bed declarations are corroborated by the actual killers. It's really a case for the prosecution to lose. The defense, on the other hand, isn't trying to prove Carruth innocent per se. They are trying to establish reasonable doubt as to his guilt. They will argue that each of the witnesses that testified against him, particularly past girlfriends, the victim's family and his co-defendants, are biased. Each of them has something to gain and that is certainly true in the case of the co-defendants.

jae20022002 asks: How do you feel this case will end -- similar to the O.J. trial?

Court TV Host: Are there similarities between the trials?

sdw_32 asks: Christopher, does this Carruth trial remind you of the Simpson trial?

Christopher Darden: There are similarities between the two. The issue of football players and persons paid to commit acts of violence on the field. Two pampered superstars striking out allegedly at women, intimates, the persons who have been disruptive in their own personal lives. I don't expect this case to end like the O.J. case. It is a high-profile case, but it doesn't involve all the elements that Simpson had. You don't have the race issue, the victim is very sympathetic, and allegations of police cover-ups are not substantial enough in my opinion to result in an acquittal. Mr. Carruth is in a very, very tough position, and it would seem to me that his best chance of winning the case would have required him taking the stand.

inils asks: Chris, if you were the defense attorney, would you have put Carruth on the stand?

Christopher Darden: That's a tough question -- the kind of question lawyers decide on a case-by-case basis. Whether to put on the defendant at trial is one of the toughest decisions a lawyer faces in a heavy felony prosecution. Carruth has the right not to testify. The D.A. cannot comment on his failure to testify. And yet, one can only assume that the jurors want to hear from him. Is he really the demonic figure that some witnesses say? Jurors want to know, why did you flee? If you weren't present, tell me, let me judge your credibility for myself. Jurors want him to look them in the eye and tell them he didn't do it, that that is in fact the truth. Unfortunately, the great weight of the evidence points to him. And the defense has not been able to explain away what appears to be some very damning evidence.

davine229w asks: Do you think Watkins should have gotten such a sweet deal for his role in this?

eonnicholson asks: Chris, would you have given this Watkins guy the deal that he got? p>Christopher Darden: It isn't much of a deal for Watkins. He'll spend the rest of his life in prison. Probably not even entitled to conjugal visits. Most people don't realize that prison is really a very, very tough place to exist. You're alive on the one hand, but on the other hand, you ain't really living. I can understand why the D.A. gave the deal. They wanted to corroborate the victim's statement. The problem I see is one of parity and equity. The actual killer gets life while the aider and abettor gets the death penalty. That may not bode well with the jury.

inils asks: Chris, are any of the things in your new book based on true incidents in L.A.?

Christopher Darden: My new book, L.A. Justice, is base on my experience as a prosecutor and the experiences of others. But it is fiction, make-believe, but it's a lot of fun. A fun read. If you're interested in crime, whodunnits, and the law, I hope that you'll take a look at L.A. Justice. We've created some great characters and we've put together quite a murder mystery. This is way cool.

h2oskilake asks: Christopher, perhaps off the subject, re: your books, have you always wanted to write but the legal profession came first? p>Christopher Darden: When I was in college, I did a fair amount of writing and I enjoyed it. But there's something about law school that suffocates your creative juices. You are locked into a certain way of thinking and it suffocates your creative juices. Writing is great. I get my freak on writing.

carruthfan asks: Mr. Darden, in retrospect, what is your biggest regret about the O.J. trial

sing_solo asks: Hindsight is 20/20. Is there anything you wish you had done differently with the O.J. trial? p>Christopher Darden: In terms of regrets, I have but two. The first, I regret having gotten involved in the damn thing. The second, I regret having lost. I wonder what my life would be like today had I won. What do you think?

debby4aday asks: Do you think race is an issue in the Carruth case?

Christopher Darden: Race shouldn't be an issue. Most of the witnesses are black with the exception of some police officers. But all the critical witnesses are African-American. This isn't a trial about race. But the one issue that everyone seems to ignore is the issue of child support. What is it about paying court-ordered child support that might upset one to the point that they would kill? I pay child support. And I have a lot of issues. I represent men who are behind in child support and who pay out 50% of their wages. Men who lost their drivers licenses and professional licenses because of their failure to pay support. Here's some legal advice for you. Wear a condom.

oliviaparker asks: Mr. Darden, do you think Rae is guilty?

chynna007me asks: Darden do you think Rae is guilty

Christopher Darden: That's not a fair question. I certainly have my opinions, but the problem all of us have is that none of us has all the facts. But I do think the jurors know whether he's guilty or not. The case against him is pretty overwhelming. And one can never be sure what might happen in the jury room.

lovedbutlonging asks: What do you think about them working on the Martin Luther King holiday?

Christopher Darden: You know, when I heard that it would be put over to Monday, the first thing that came to mind was the issue of Martin Luther King's birthday. The case should go over to Tuesday, simple as that. Tell the judge I said so.

scarson2002 asks: Hi Christopher! Just wanted to say that I read your book, it was great. When will you be writing another?

Christopher Darden: Which book? Was it In Contempt, my book after the trial? Or was it my first novel, the Trials of Nikki Hill? I have a new book just out called LA Justice. It's a novel I am, like, killing people everywhere in this book. Pick it up. I think you'd like it. All the sex scenes are real. I had to go out and have sex to write about it

rose_m_lunsford asks: After viewing all the evidence and witnesses what do you think Rae Carruth's verdict will be??

Christopher Darden: You know, I'm just concerned about putting a nail in the guy's coffin. You've got 12 jurors to do it, or, as I said, the case against him is pretty overwhelming, and I believe that I have the ability to evaluate a case. So you know what I think is going to happen.

jj4everluv asks: Do you believe in the death penalty?

Christopher Darden: That's a very good question. I am not an advocate for the death penalty. It is used far too often and in a discriminatory manner, but, sometimes, some people commit crimes that are so heinous that the death penalty is warranted. I don't know if the death penalty is warranted in Carruth's case, but Mr. Mcveigh is a poster boy for the death penalty.

bulah72z asks: Do you think it will be a quick verdict? p>Christopher Darden: I think the lawyers who are in the courtroom everyday might be able to make a pretty fair prediction. The lawyers in the courtroom can probably identify which jurors are going to vote one way or the other and which have questions or concerns about the evidence. You've got to be there, so I don't know. One juror could hold the thing up for weeks.

ivanetta57 asks: Should trials be shown on TV?

Christopher Darden: I'm not a big fan of cameras in the courtroom, I believe that they can do great harm to a litigant's right to a fair trial. If it were up to me, there would be no cameras in the courtroom in cases involving heavy felons like the carruth case. Defendants aren't well served by having cameras in the courtroom, but the lawyers sure are. In fact, I gotta find me a case and get televised on Court TV so that I can increase my profile and get a bunch of money. I am a bit of a hypocrite because I keep asking Court TV to give me a job, but they wont give me one.

arkenkim asks: What do you think of O.J. and how he is living his life?

Christopher Darden: Can you use the f-word on the internet?

Court TV Host: We're going to have wrap things up -- have you got any closing thoughts?

Christopher Darden: I'm thrilled that so many peole are taking an interest in the criminal justice system and the manner in which trials are conducted. It's important to pay attention to this. It's important that we carefully reconsider the death penalty. It's also important that you go out and buy LA Justice, for two reasons: I suffer from low self-esteem, and need the boost. Second, I gotta pay my child support. You know what I'm sayin'? Thanks a lot.

Court TV Host: Christopher Darden, thanks for joining us today online...we hope to talk to you again soon.