Judge Allows Rambling Discourses on Law, Philosophy While Dealing With Series of Unique Legal Maneuvers

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 – Charles Miller Manson sought unsuccessfully Wednesday to form a corporation with six other County Jail inmates to be known as The Family of Infinite Soul, Inc., to fight for his freedom.

The former leader of a hippie clan is defending himself on charges of murder and conspiracy in the seven Tate and LaBianca murders.

Superior Judge George M. Dell abided Manson’s rambling discourses on law and philosophy for almost 40 minutes Wednesday, dealing patiently and politely with legal moves the like of which he admitted he had never seen before.

One was for Manson to organize a corporation headed by Manson and with six fellow inmates as fellow directors, to handle his plea for freedom on a writ of habeas corpus.

The motion by Manson, typed at County Jail, explained that “the People of California has the defendant outnumbered in legal assistance,” and asked that fellow prisoners be allowed to act as co-counsel “in the interests of Just-Us.”

Judge Dell, after hearing a half-dozen legal requests by the slight, bearded, loquacious defendant, finally refused most and granted one: a two-week continuance before he enters his plea. He is to appear again Jan. 28.

Manson arrived in Justice Dell’s court Wednesday for what should have been a three-minute hearing to enter a plea. Dressed in a red velveteen shirt and a Gypsy-like embroidered vest, he stood at a microphone in the prisoner’s box, fondled a half-dozen long, sharp, yellow pencils, and gave Judge Dell some of his impressions of his legal problems:

— His proposed witnesses at his forthcoming trial are being photographed “and harassed” by the sheriff’s office when they visit him because they lack proper identification.

“They don’t drive. They don’t have licenses, or identification. They live at the side of the road. They don’t have an address, like you. They (the sheriff’s officers) call them ‘odd looking people,’ but they’re my brothers.”

— When Judge Dell asked him, gently, if he could read and write, Manson — who never got beyond grade school — said “it depends on your level of understanding…I read, yes. Slowly.”

— He needs a recording machine “of the kind you speak letters into” to dictate legal motions for a secretary to type because his grammar is poor and “my spelling is atrocious.”

Judge Dell and Dep. Dist. Atty. Aaron Stovitz agreed that Manson could use a dictation machine when a court-appointed private investigator is with him at County Jail. “I know the sheriff won’t like the idea,” Manson said.

“The prosecution is going further in assisting you than the sheriff,” Judge Dell said.

Manson smiled broadly. “I was going to ask him if he’d just call the whole thing off,” said the defendant, “and save all the taxpayers’ money.”

Manson blinked repeatedly as he stared at Judge Dell while the latter was speaking. But, when he was speaking himself, Manson frequently made remarks he apparently intended to be humorous.

Laughing when he laughed were four young women who once were members of Manson’s hippie group — Diana Bluestein, Nancy Pittman, Lynn Fromme and Sandra Good, who held a small baby boy. They are not charged in connection with the murders.

Judge Dell allowed Manson the use of a book (“How to Cross Examine Witnesses”), said he would not set hearings on Manson’s other requests — for habeas corpus and evidence-discovery motions — until after Manson’s plea is entered.

Manson’s motion seeking incorporation of the Family of Infinite Soul, Inc., referred to needing their aid in seeking freedom on a writ of habeas corpus, although in court he referred to a motion for a “995” — a motion to dismiss charges on the basis of insufficient evidence.

Exactly what his motion referred to was legally unclear, despite the fact that it was liberally sprinkled with Latin phrases. Judge Dell declined to interpret it. He read it quickly and told Manson that he could seek assistance from the other prisoners at the jail but could not bring them to court with him as co-counsel.

Manson identified other prospective directors of his corporation as Earle B. Nash, James Moorehead, Donald George Austin, Earnest Townes, John Louis Collier and Ernest Shepard III. Address of all the “directors” was the same: 441 Bauchet St., site of the County Jail.

In another court, Susan Denise Atkins, a codefendant in the seven murders, appeared to answer a charge of murder in the earlier death of Gary Hinman in Topanga Canyon. Her case was postponed to March 11.

Outside of court, she chatted briefly with newsmen. One asked her the name of her 16-month-old son, who has been placed in a foster home. She said the child’s name was “Ze Zo Ze Se C Zadfrack.”

“It doesn’t mean anything. It just came to me,” she added.

Attorney Richard Caballero verified the spelling. The child was born during Miss Atkins’ stay with the Manson’s so-called family of hippies.

By DIAL TORGERSON