Civil Death Suit Hearing For Manson ‘Family’ Set
Saturday, October 10th, 1970
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 10 – A federal judge today had set Nov. 16 for another hearing in a $2,000,000 dollar wrongful death suit against Charles Manson and four of his followers.
The suit is over the death of Polish playboy Voitek Frykowski, one of the persons slain at the home of actress Sharon Tate on Aug. 9, 1969. Seeking the damages is Frykowski’s 11-year-old son, Bartek, who lives with his grandmother in Poland.
The judge set the hearing after rolling back on a decision he issued in the case Thursday.
The decision implied that Manson and the others were responsible for Frykowski’s death, although that is a question still being decided in the murder-conspiracy trial in Superior Court.
The attorney for the Frykowski boy, Nathaniel Friedman, said he received notification that Judge Curtis had issued a partial summary judgment in the civil suit.
The judgment was that Manson and the four “family” members were liable for damages and that the only issue still to be decided by a civil trial jury was how much damages they must pay.
A check of court records showed that Judge Curtis did, indeed, issue such a decision Thursday.
But it also showed that he rescinded the order Friday and instead set another hearing in the case
Evidence submitted thus far in the suit consists principally of a transcript of testimony given by Linda Kasabian, the star prosecution witness in the murder-conspiracy trial.
In addition to Manson, defendants in the civil suit are Charles (Tex) Watson, Susan Atkins. Patricia Krenwinkel and Miss Kasabian.
Miss Kasabian is a former member of Manson’s “family” of hippie-like nomads. Criminal charges against her were dropped after she testified for the prosecution.
In her testimony, she said Manson ordered the mass slayings last year.
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