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EspañolGERONIMO PRATT
'Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt' (born September 13, 1947), also known as 'Geronimo ji-Jaga', is a former high ranking member of the Black Panther Party. He was targeted by the FBI program COINTELPRO, which aimed to "neutralize Pratt as an effective BPP functionary."[1] Pratt was tried and convicted of the kidnap and murder of Caroline Olsen in 1972, and spent 27 years in prison, eight of which were in solitary confinement. Pratt was freed in 1997 when his conviction was overturned. He currently works as a human rights activist. Pratt is also notable as the godfather of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
Pratt was raised in Louisiana, where he witnessed lynchings and intimidation by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
He served two combat tours in the Vietnam War and came to Los Angeles, using the GI Bill to go to UCLA.
When Pratt joined the Black Panthers his years in the army were useful, and he rose to be Minister of Defense.
In 1968, Caroline Olsen, a 27-year-old elementary school teacher, was murdered by gunshot during a robbery on a Santa Monica tennis court. Olsen's husband, Kenneth, who was also shot but survived, initially identified another man as the killer. Julio Butler, a Black Panther and police informant, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping.
Pratt always maintained his innocence. During his incarceration he studied law and steadfastly built a defense. Pratt was represented by Stuart Hanlon and Johnnie Cochran in his original trial, and Hanlon contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being overturned and the case dismissed on June 10, 1997.
Pratt's previous trial was ruled unfair due to government supression of evidence which would have acquitted Pratt, specifically that the key witness against Pratt, Julio Butler, was allegedly a paid police informant for both the FBI and the LAPD. However, what isn't so well known is that Butler was not working with the police before the robbery, nor is there any firm evidence to identify him as an "informer." In fact, Butler's "indictment" of Pratt was actually contained in a letter he handed to a black friend of his, the envelope containing the instruction: "only to be opened in the event of my death." This allegedly followed death threats towards Butler by Pratt. The FBI placed pressure on the recipient of the envelope to reveal its contents, but it was a further two years before it was opened, thus revealing Pratt's allegations. Of note in this case was that the leadership of the Black Panther party distanced themselves from Pratt, allegedly failing to provide an alibi that could have avoided his imprisonment. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping.
The FBI closed its file on Butler during the trial so that he could deny that he was an informer when asked. Afterwards he resumed informing and his file was reopened. The LAPD apparently did not even bother to carry out such a cosmetic gesture. Also, FBI wiretaps on the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices of the Panthers showed that Pratt was in San Francisco on the day of the murder, but the Los Angeles wiretap logs were destroyed and the San Francisco records were withheld from the defense.[2] Pratt later won a settlement for $4.5 million.
Pratt continues to work on behalf of men and women who are believed to be wrongfully incarcerated, in addition to his work with the Kuji Foundation Inc. He has participated in rallies in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.
★ Olsen, Jack. (2000). ''Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt''. ISBN 0-38549-367-3
1. LA 157-3436, the partially redacted COINTELPRO file on Geronimo Pratt
2. Framed Black Panther leader Geronimo Pratt wins appeal Martin McLaughlin
★ Kuji Foundation Inc.
| Contents |
| Early years |
| Murder charges |
| Prison |
| Government suppression of evidence |
| Later years |
| References |
| External links |
Early years
Pratt was raised in Louisiana, where he witnessed lynchings and intimidation by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
He served two combat tours in the Vietnam War and came to Los Angeles, using the GI Bill to go to UCLA.
When Pratt joined the Black Panthers his years in the army were useful, and he rose to be Minister of Defense.
Murder charges
In 1968, Caroline Olsen, a 27-year-old elementary school teacher, was murdered by gunshot during a robbery on a Santa Monica tennis court. Olsen's husband, Kenneth, who was also shot but survived, initially identified another man as the killer. Julio Butler, a Black Panther and police informant, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping.
Prison
Pratt always maintained his innocence. During his incarceration he studied law and steadfastly built a defense. Pratt was represented by Stuart Hanlon and Johnnie Cochran in his original trial, and Hanlon contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being overturned and the case dismissed on June 10, 1997.
Government suppression of evidence
Pratt's previous trial was ruled unfair due to government supression of evidence which would have acquitted Pratt, specifically that the key witness against Pratt, Julio Butler, was allegedly a paid police informant for both the FBI and the LAPD. However, what isn't so well known is that Butler was not working with the police before the robbery, nor is there any firm evidence to identify him as an "informer." In fact, Butler's "indictment" of Pratt was actually contained in a letter he handed to a black friend of his, the envelope containing the instruction: "only to be opened in the event of my death." This allegedly followed death threats towards Butler by Pratt. The FBI placed pressure on the recipient of the envelope to reveal its contents, but it was a further two years before it was opened, thus revealing Pratt's allegations. Of note in this case was that the leadership of the Black Panther party distanced themselves from Pratt, allegedly failing to provide an alibi that could have avoided his imprisonment. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping.
The FBI closed its file on Butler during the trial so that he could deny that he was an informer when asked. Afterwards he resumed informing and his file was reopened. The LAPD apparently did not even bother to carry out such a cosmetic gesture. Also, FBI wiretaps on the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices of the Panthers showed that Pratt was in San Francisco on the day of the murder, but the Los Angeles wiretap logs were destroyed and the San Francisco records were withheld from the defense.[2] Pratt later won a settlement for $4.5 million.
Later years
Pratt continues to work on behalf of men and women who are believed to be wrongfully incarcerated, in addition to his work with the Kuji Foundation Inc. He has participated in rallies in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.
References
★ Olsen, Jack. (2000). ''Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt''. ISBN 0-38549-367-3
1. LA 157-3436, the partially redacted COINTELPRO file on Geronimo Pratt
2. Framed Black Panther leader Geronimo Pratt wins appeal Martin McLaughlin
External links
★ Kuji Foundation Inc.
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