Attorney in Cosby, Stalker Cases to Defend Olson

Henry J. Hall, whose clients have included Night Stalker Richard Ramirez and the man convicted of killing Bill Cosby’s son, has been appointed to defend Sara Jane Olson, the Minnesota doctor’s wife accused of plotting to kill police officers by planting pipe bombs under squad cars in 1975.

Hall, a lawyer with the alternate public defender’s office, joined Oakland attorney Susan B. Jordan but will be paid at taxpayer expense. Olson has said she has run out of money to pay lawyers. She is free on $1-million bail.

Olson, then known as Kathleen Soliah, was indicted in 1976 in connection with the bomb plot. Two nail-packed pipe bombs were found under Los Angeles police patrol cars, allegedly put there to avenge the deaths of six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army in a confrontation with police. The bombs did not explode.

Olson was scheduled to go to trial this week, but the case was postponed after one of her original lawyers dropped out for family reasons.