[3] The Los Angeles Police Department had no leads until late 1970 when former Black Panther Julio Butler wrote to the LAPD that Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt had bragged to him about the tennis court killing.

[6] In June 1997, Pratt was released from prison when an Orange County Superior Court judge reversed his murder conviction, on the basis that a key prosecution witness, Julius Butler was a felon and an FBI informant.

[7] In April 2000, Hanlon won a $4.5 million verdict for Pratt in his civil action suit against the city of Los Angeles and the FBI.

[1] He also represented and won the acquittal of another member of the SLA, Russell Little, for his role in the murder of Oakland, California School Superintendent Marcus Foster.

[14] Another attorney, Leonard Weinglass, worked on the exoneration prior to Hanlon and Serra, and more credit for the success is given to activists and community members who brought public scrutiny to the case.

[15] In 2003, Hanlon defended San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Greg Suhr against charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice.

[19][20] Six weeks after Hanlon won Pratt a new trial, his wife, attorney Kathleen Ryan, 46, died of leukemia.

[1][21] The prospects of an extremely extended trial for Olson, in which Hearst was expected to be called as a witness by the prosecution, caused Hanlon to withdraw as defense counsel so he could be with his family.