Jaga (September 13, 1947 – June 2, 2011),
Early years
Geronimo Ji Jaga was born in Morgan City, Louisiana and was a high school quarterback. His father was in the scrap metal business. He served two combat tours in the Vietnam War, reaching the rank of sergeant and earning two Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts.[4][5] He later moved to Los Angeles.After he served his two tours, Geronimo Ji Jaga studied political science at UCLA,[4] using the GI Bill. Geronimo Ji Jaga was recruited into the Panthers by Bunchy Carter and John Huggins.[6] When Pratt joined the Black Panthers, his years in the army proved useful. He rose to be Minister of Defense of the local organization, after two of its officers were killed. In 1971, Geronimo Ji Jaga's wife Saundra was killed while 8 months pregnant and left in a ditch. The murder was blamed on a Party schism between supporters of Huey Newton and those of Eldridge Cleaver. Geronimo Ji Jaga and his wife belonging to the Cleaver faction.[7][8]
By January 1970, the Los Angeles FBI office had sought permission from headquarters for a counterintelligence effort "designed to challenge the legitimacy of the authority exercised" by Pratt in the local Panthers. Another FBI memo dated five months later noted that the Bureau was constantly considering counterintelligence measures designed to neutralize Pratt "as an effective (Panther) functionary."[6]
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. Julius Butler, a Black Panther and police informant, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. In 1970, Geronimo Ji Jaga was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping.His attorney, Johnnie L. Cochran Jr., assured his client that the charges would be dropped, given that Geronimo Ji Jaga had been 350 miles away on the night of the murder and could prove it. But, according to and alleged by journalist and author Jack Olsen, they were met with setbacks, from lying prosecution witnesses trooped to exculpatory evidence disappearing at police stations and the L.A. District Attorney’s office. According to Olsen, it was later revealed that FBI "moles" had infiltrated defense sessions and monitored Cochran’s phone calls.[9]
Prison
Geronimo Ji Jaga always maintained his innocence. During his incarceration he studied law and steadfastly built a defense. Geronimo Ji Jaga was represented by attorneys Stuart Hanlon and Johnnie Cochran in his original trial. Together with William Paparian, Hanlon contributed much to the appeals that later led to Pratt's conviction being vacated.Murder conviction vacated
Geronimo Ji Jaga's conviction was vacated on June 10, 1997, on the grounds that the prosecution had concealed evidence that might have exonerated the defendant. In particular, the government had not disclosed that a key witness against Pratt, Julius Butler, was an informant for both the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department. An appeals court ruled this fact to be "'favorable' to the defendant, 'suppressed' by a law enforcement agency, and 'material' to the jury's decision to convict."[10]Geronimo Ji Jaga eventually received $4.5 million as settlement for false imprisonment. A federal judge approved the settlement of the civil suit: The city of L.A. paid $2.75 million of the settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice paying the $1.75 million remainder.[11]
Later years
Geronimo Ji Jaga continued to work on behalf of men and women believed to be wrongfully incarcerated until his death, including participation in rallies in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.Geronimo Ji Jaga was living in Tanzania at the time of his death.[4]
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