Stephen Bingham

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Stephen Bingham was a defense attorney. He was tried and acquitted for his alleged role in Black Panther George Jackson's attempted escape from San Quentin in 1971.

Bingham, a lawyer-activist, was accused of smuggling a pistol concealed in a tape recorder to Jackson, who was housed in San Quentin's Adjustment Center time awaiting trial for the murder of a prison guard. On August 21, 1971, Jackson used the pistol, an Astra 9-mm semi-automatic, to take over his tier in the Adjustment Center. In his failed escape attempt, six people were killed, including three prison guards and two fellow prisoners.

The prison guards were Jere Graham, Frank DeLeon and Paul Krasnes. Witnesses allege that Graham was the first victim, shot in the back of the head execution-style after Jackson commented about the pistol, "Let's see if this thing works." DeLeon and Krasenes were beaten, stabbed and had their throats cut, dying after a half-an-hour from loss of blood. Two other guards were similarly treated, and they nearly bled to death before being rescued when prison guards shot their way into the Adjustment Center. In addition to the guards, two fellow prisoners who had been delivering food to the Center were murdered by the rioters. They were hogtied with bed-sheets and stabbed to death.

According to Sgt. Vernell Crittendon, a guard of the San Quentin Prison, the rioting prisoners cut a small hole in the neck of two of the guards. They then stuck their fingers in these holes under the skin and started to pull out veins, tendons, and arteries which were then systematically snipped with a pair of fingernail clippers. All of this occurred while the guards were still alive.

After the incident occurred, Bingham fled the country and stayed on the run for 13 years before finally being captured. In 1984 he was tried for his alleged role in the riot and found not guilty.