From 1979 to 1997, David Bernstein served as investigator and legal researcher for the Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt defense team. The collection consists of research, numerous court documents, transcripts, and Freedom of Information materials that were accrued during the various court hearings. The bulk of the materials are facsimiles of original documents.

David L. Bernstein was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 26, 1948; he moved to Los Angeles at a young age. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1971 and earned a JD from the University of La Verne College of Law in 1995. After working for several years with environmental cleanup in Northern California, he returned to Los Angeles in the late 1970's and took a job as law clerk/investigator in the Law Offices of Goldin and Gordon. One of the partners, Martha Goldin, had served as appellate counsel for former Black Panther Elmer Geronimo Pratt. In 1979 Bernstein was assigned to review and index criminal appellate briefs and learned that there were ongoing habeas corpus proceedings seeking to overturn Pratt's murder conviction, as well as litigation under the Freedom of Information Act to ascertain if the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program had any role in the conviction. With the approval from Goldin and Gordon, Bernstein contacted Pratt's main counsel, Stuart Hanlon and offered to join the efforts being made on Pratt's behalf.

10.4 linear feet (24 boxes and 1 carton)

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