[Peace-discussion] For those unfamiliar with the details of Geronimo Platt's heroic struggles

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:14:01 +0000

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Geronimo 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 vacated. He currently works as a human rights activist. Pratt is also notable as the godfather of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early years 
2 Murder charges 
3 Prison 
4 Murder conviction vacated 
5 Later years 
6 References 
7 External links 

[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 along with William Paparian contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being vacated on June 10, 1997.
[edit] Murder conviction vacated
Pratt's conviction was vacated because the prosecution had not disclosed that a key witness against Pratt, Julio Butler, was an informant for both the FBI and the LAPD. [2]
[edit] 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.
[edit] References
Olsen, Jack. (2000). Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt. ISBN 0-38549-367-3 
^ LA 157-3436, the partially redacted COINTELPRO file on Geronimo Pratt 
^ http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/law/inrepratt82CalRptr2d260.htm 
[edit] External links
Kuji Foundation Inc. 
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<H1 class=firstHeading>Geronimo Pratt</H1>
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<P><B>Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt</B> (born <A title="September 13" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_13">September 13</A>, <A title=1947 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947">1947</A>), also known as <B>Geronimo ji-Jaga</B>, is a former high ranking member of the <A title="Black Panther Party" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Party">Black Panther Party</A>. He was targeted by the <A title=FBI href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI">FBI</A> program <A title=COINTELPRO href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO">COINTELPRO</A>, which aimed to "neutralize Pratt as an effective BPP functionary."<SUP class=reference id=_ref-0><A title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#_note-0">[1]</A></SUP> 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 <A title="Solitary confinement" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitary_confinement">solitary confinement</A>. Pra
tt was freed in 1997 when his conviction was vacated. He currently works as a <A title="Human rights" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights">human rights</A> activist. Pratt is also notable as the <A title=Godparent href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godparent">godfather</A> of the late rapper <A title="Tupac Shakur" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupac_Shakur">Tupac Shakur</A>.</P>
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<H2>Contents</H2><SPAN class=toctoggle>[<A class=internal id=togglelink href="javascript:toggleToc()">hide</A>]</SPAN></DIV>
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<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#Early_years"><SPAN class=tocnumber>1</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>Early years</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#Murder_charges"><SPAN class=tocnumber>2</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>Murder charges</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#Prison"><SPAN class=tocnumber>3</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>Prison</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#Murder_conviction_vacated"><SPAN class=tocnumber>4</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>Murder conviction vacated</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#Later_years"><SPAN class=tocnumber>5</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>Later years</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#References"><SPAN class=tocnumber>6</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>References</SPAN></A> 
<LI class=toclevel-1><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#External_links"><SPAN class=tocnumber>7</SPAN> <SPAN class=toctext>External links</SPAN></A> </LI></UL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P><A id=Early_years name=Early_years></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: Early years" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=1">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>Early years</SPAN></H2>
<P>Pratt was raised in <A title=Louisiana href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana">Louisiana</A>, where he witnessed lynchings and intimidation by groups such as the <A title="Ku Klux Klan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan">Ku Klux Klan</A>.</P>
<P>He served two combat tours in the <A title="Vietnam War" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War">Vietnam War</A> and came to <A title="Los Angeles" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles">Los Angeles</A>, using the <A title="GI Bill" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GI_Bill">GI Bill</A> to go to <A title=UCLA href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCLA">UCLA</A>. When Pratt joined the Black Panthers his years in the army were useful, and he rose to be Minister of Defense.</P>
<P><A id=Murder_charges name=Murder_charges></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: Murder charges" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=2">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>Murder charges</SPAN></H2>
<P>In 1968, Caroline Olsen, a 27-year-old elementary school teacher, was murdered by gunshot during a robbery on a <A title="Santa Monica" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica">Santa Monica</A> <A title="Tennis court" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_court">tennis court</A>. Olsen's husband, Kenneth, who was also shot but survived, initially identified another man as the killer. Julio Butler, a Black Panther and <A title="Police informant" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_informant">police informant</A>, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and <A title=Kidnapping href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping">kidnapping</A>.</P>
<P><A id=Prison name=Prison></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: Prison" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=3">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>Prison</SPAN></H2>
<P>Pratt always maintained his innocence. During his incarceration he studied law and steadfastly built a defense. Pratt was represented by <A title="Stuart Hanlon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Hanlon">Stuart Hanlon</A> and <A title="Johnnie Cochran" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Cochran">Johnnie Cochran</A> in his original trial, and Hanlon along with William Paparian contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being vacated on <A title="June 10" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_10">June 10</A>, <A title=1997 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997">1997</A>.</P>
<P><A id=Murder_conviction_vacated name=Murder_conviction_vacated></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: Murder conviction vacated" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=4">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>Murder conviction vacated</SPAN></H2>
<P>Pratt's conviction was vacated because the prosecution had not disclosed that a key witness against Pratt, Julio Butler, was an informant for both the FBI and the <A title=LAPD href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAPD">LAPD</A>. <SUP class=reference id=_ref-1><A title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#_note-1">[2]</A></SUP></P>
<P><A id=Later_years name=Later_years></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: Later years" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=5">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>Later years</SPAN></H2>
<P>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 <A title="Mumia Abu-Jamal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumia_Abu-Jamal">Mumia Abu-Jamal</A>, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.</P>
<P><A id=References name=References></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: References" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=6">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>References</SPAN></H2>
<UL>
<LI><A title="Jack Olsen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Olsen">Olsen, Jack</A>. (2000). <I>Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt</I>. <A class=internal href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&amp;isbn=0385493673">ISBN 0-38549-367-3</A> </LI></UL>
<OL class=references>
<LI id=_note-0><B><A title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#_ref-0">^</A></B> <A class="external text" title=http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/doc156.gif href="http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/doc156.gif" rel=nofollow>LA 157-3436</A>, the partially redacted COINTELPRO file on Geronimo Pratt 
<LI id=_note-1><B><A title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Pratt#_ref-1">^</A></B> <A class="external free" title=http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/law/inrepratt82CalRptr2d260.htm href="http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/law/inrepratt82CalRptr2d260.htm" rel=nofollow>http://www.icdc.com/~paulwolf/cointelpro/law/inrepratt82CalRptr2d260.htm</A> </LI></OL>
<P><A id=External_links name=External_links></A></P>
<H2><SPAN class=editsection>[<A title="Edit section: External links" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geronimo_Pratt&amp;action=edit&amp;section=7">edit</A>]</SPAN> <SPAN class=mw-headline>External links</SPAN></H2>
<UL>
<LI><A class="external text" title=http://www.kujifoundation.org href="http://www.kujifoundation.org/" rel=nofollow>Kuji Foundation Inc.</A> <BR></LI></UL></DIV>

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