Manson, Judge Play ’20 Questions’
Thursday, March 12th, 1970
LOS ANGELES, Mar. 12 – Accused “mastermind of murder” Charles Manson Wednesday played “Twenty Questions” with a judge, blocking for a time a simple change of attorney motion by his ex-girl friend turned accuser.
Manson, stroking his beard and “playing dumb,” refused to answer Superior Court Judge William Keene’s questions on whether he would object to a substitution of attorneys. Los Angeles attorney Daye Shinn was to replace Beverly Hills lawyer Richard Caballero in the defense of Susan Denise Atkins, the member of the Manson “family” whose testimony before the county grand jury led to the indictment of Manson and five other members of his nomadic hippie tribe.
Manson sat at the counsel table with Miss Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkle, both accused of the Tate-La Bianca murders. Miss Atkins was wearing a puff-sleeved purple dress with a plunging neckline.
Attorney Shinn told Judge Keene he visited both Miss Krenwinkle and Manson in jail, but could see no conflict of interest in handling the defense of the Atkins girl.
Judge Keene attempted to get Manson’s feelings on whether there would be a conflict of interest, but the long-haired cult leader toyed with the answer.
“I think we’re all going to need as much help as we can get,” Manson said, evading the answer, “but there isn’t anyone here I don’t like.”
At one point Manson threw a pair of glasses across the counsel table, saying, “You take my glasses and I’ll take yours, and you look at the judge and you’ll see him in a different frame than I do.” ...Full Story