Geronimo Pratt
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Geronimo Pratt, also known as Geronimo ji-Jaga, was a high ranking member of the Black Panther Party. He was also the godfather of rapper Tupac Shakur. He was sent to prison in 1972 for a crime many believe he didn't commit. In 1997 he was freed. Pratt was represented by Johnnie Cochran in his original trial, and Cochran contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being overturned. During Pratt's original trial, the FBI had penetrated the defense team.
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Early Years
Pratt was raised in Louisiana. He claims to have witnessed lynchings and intimidation by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. He served 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.
The Murder of Caroline Olson
In 1968, Caroline Olson was shot and murdered during a robbery on a Santa Monica tennis court. Olson's husband, survived being shot, identified another man as the killer at first. Julio Butler, a Black Panther and police informant, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. Butler lied on the stand about having relationship with law enforcement. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping. Many believe the arrest was part of a campaign of harassment by the FBI as part of the COINTELPRO operations. In 1979 he impregnated his wife during a conjugal visitation.
Freedom
In 1997 Pratt was freed because a judge ruled that his trial was unfair. In April 2000 he won a settlement for $4.5 million. He has participated in rallies in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.
External Links
Olson, Jack. (2001). Last Man Standing : The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt. ISBN 0385493681
External Links
- World Socialist Web Site: Pratt Freed (http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/feb1999/prat-f18.shtml)
- Interview With Pratt (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1264/is_n7_v28/ai_19945626)