LOS ANGELES, Mar. 20 – Charles Manson fired his court-appointed lawyer Thursday and then threw a paperback copy of the U.S. and State constitutions into a wastebasket when his request that he again be permitted to defend himself was rejected.

During the hectic court session, Superior Judge William B. Keene allowed Manson to select a new attorney, then postponed the trial of the Tate-LaBianca murder suspects from March 30 until April 20.

Manson’s new attorney, Ronald Hughes, an admitted neophyte in the courtroom, reluctantly agreed to the defense-requested delay, contending it will be denying Manson his constitutional right to a speedy trial.

He conceded, however, that he would not be ready to proceed on March 30.

The bearded Hughes was admitted to bar just last June and has never represented a defendant in a criminal case.

Manson asked for him after a series of events which included:

— Charles Hollopeter’s request that a psychiatrist be appointed to examine Manson which was ordered (and later vacated) by the court. Hollopeter is the attorney replaced by Hughes.

— Manson’s insistence that he be allowed to change attorneys, “before this goes any further because I haven’t agreed with it,” and his demand that he again be permitted to defend himself.

— After the latter request was denied by Keene, Manson asked that attorney Ira Reiner. who now is rep-resenting co-defendant Leslie Van Houten, be appointed as his lawyer.

— Instructed by the court to submit his proposal in writing, Manson produced a prepared motion in which he requested that Hughes, his most frequent jail visitor, and not Reiner be named to defend him.

Hughes, apparently surprised by Manson’s maneuver, was granted a short recess to confer with him and then announced he was willing “to take the case at this time.”

Asked by the court if he would be ready to go to trial on whichever date is set Hughes said he would, adding:

“I have no other cases pending.”

Hughes then launched an attack on the court, claiming it has been forcing Manson into “several untenable positions,” including its refusal to allow him to defend himself.

“This court has consistently been denying Mr. Manson his rights,” Hughes declared. He indicated that he intended to later challenge Judge Keene for prejudice.

Hugues also said he intends to give Manson “as strong a voice as possible” and will seek to have his new client’s right to defend himself restored by the appellate courts. He later conceded that this might be an impossible task.

It was when Keene tried to get Manson to consent to Hughes being his spokesman in court that Manson flipped the copy of the Constitution into a nearby wastebasket.

“I intended to throw it at you, but I thought I might hit you…I love everybody,” Manson told Judge Keene.

After Hollopeter was formally relieved with the thanks of the court, Hughes withdrew Hollopeter’s motion for the appointment of a psychiatrist and a trial for Manson separate from co-defendant Susan Atkins, once the prosecution’s key witness.

Manson’s demeanor in court Thursday was far different from his last appearance when he babbled incoherently and appeared to ignore his female co-defendants as they grinned broadly at him, awaiting a sign of recognition.

This time Manson smiled and joshed with Patricia Krenwinkel, Miss Atkins and Miss Van Houten at the counsel table and waved to members of the hippie family who were seated in the courtroom.

Noticeable by her absence Thursday was another co-defendant, Linda Kasabian, who reportedly has agreed to testify against Manson and the others in return for immunity.

Should she do so, Mrs. Kasabian will not be tried with the others so it was not necessary to get her consent to the new trial date.

Her trial, also set for March 30, presumably will be postponed at that time until a date later than that for the other alleged Tate-LaBianca slayers.

Miss Krenwinkel’s attorney, Dep. Public Defender Paul J. Fitzgerald, revealed after court that he has decided to appeal a court ruling which denied his challenge of Keene as the trial judge.

Manson was not the only one in a good mood Thursday. The three female co-defendants sang one of his songs on their way to and from court and members of his family did the same in the corridor outside the courtroom.

By RON EINSTOSS