Beausoleil Is Denied Right to Act as Own Attorney
Thursday, May 14th, 1970
LOS ANGELES, May 14 – Robert Beausoleil, condemned to death for the murder of musician Gary Hinman, tried unsuccessfully to act as his own attorney so he could introduce “new evidence” into his case.
Superior Judge William B. Keene denied the 22-year-old defendant’s motion, but said he could renew it on May 26.
Beausoleil was convicted by a jury last April 16 of the first-degree murder of Hinman, 34. The fatal stabbing occurred last July 27 in the musician’s Topanga Canyon home.
The same jury recommended the death penalty.
Judge Keene had been scheduled to hear a motion on Tuesday for a new trial and if he had denied that motion, he would have formally sentenced the young man to death.
The jurist postponed all matters until May 26, however, because Beausoleil’s pre-sentencing report was not complete.
Also charged in the Hinman murder are cult leader Charles Manson 35, Susan Atkins, 21, and Bruce Davis, 27.
Manson, Miss, Atkins and four others additionally are accused in the August Tate-LaBianca murders.
Beausoleil during his retrial, testified it was Manson who stabbed Hinman because the musician refused to join the clan.
He was first tried for the Hinman murder in Santa Monica, but a jury deadlocked on a verdict.
Dep. Public Defender Leon Salter, who represents Beausoleil, told Judge Keene the motion for a new trial will be based partly on “new evidence” which the defense hopes to obtain.
But the attorney said he has been unsuccessful in getting information from witnesses because they “do not trust me.”
“If Mr. Beausoleil could interview them face-to-face, he feels they would open up and come forth with new evidence,” Salter said
As an example of the distrust, Salter said he interviewed Manson on March 6, but the clan leader was “very closed-mouth and wanted to speak to Mr. Beausoleil himself.”
Judge Keene said he would not allow Beausoleil to represent himself “at this time.”
“I am satisfied any new evidence on the new trial motion can be argued just as eloquently by you as by the defendant,” the jurist remarked.
Beausoleil obviously was irked at Judge Keene’s ruling. He shifted his weight impatiently from foot to foot and shook his head during the argument.
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