Geronimo Pratt

Geronimo Pratt (September 14, 1947 – June 2, 2011) was an American civil rights activist and prominent member of the Black Panther Party who became a symbol of wrongful conviction and the struggle against systemic injustice in the American legal system. Born in Louisiana, Pratt joined the Black Panther Party in Los Angeles during the late 1960s and became known for his activism and leadership. In 1971, he was convicted of a 1968 murder despite substantial evidence of his innocence, including testimony that he was at a Black Panther meeting at the time of the crime. The conviction was later revealed to involve prosecutorial misconduct and withheld exculpatory evidence—practices that became emblematic of FBI and law enforcement abuses during the civil rights era. Pratt spent 27 years in prison, becoming an international symbol of injustice while maintaining his innocence. His conviction was overturned in 1997 after a landmark legal battle that exposed deep flaws in the criminal justice system. Following his release, Pratt settled a lawsuit against the FBI and Los Angeles Police Department for $4.75 million, one of the largest settlements of its kind. He continued his activism and became an advocate for criminal justice reform until his death. His case remains a pivotal reference point in discussions of wrongful conviction and institutional racism.