LOS ANGELES, Feb. 7 – Charles Manson bounced into Superior Judge Malcolm M. Lucas’ courtroom Friday, seeking release from Los Angeles County Jail on a writ of habeas corpus.

But by the time the brief morning proceeding ended, the spring had gone front his walk.

Judge Lucas denied the writ and ordered him returned to confinement.

And once back in jail, Manson had to resign himself to spending the next five days in solitary confinement for failing to join other prisoners at the breakfast table.

It was a bad morning all around for the little man accused of masterminding the Tate and LaBianca murders:

— Judge Lucas also rejected a Manson motion that murder and conspiracy charges against him be dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence.

— Members of Manson’s “Family,” ‘faithful’ spectators at his previous legal proceedings, arrived late and couldn’t get into the courtroom because all the seats were taken.

One of his mini-skirted disciples, Susan Bartell, 19, was arrested on traffic warrants outside the courtroom.

— And Judge Lucas refused to abide the show-boating in which Manson had indulged at previous courtroom sessions by forbidding him to make extra-judicial statements.

When Manson complained about the judge’s ordering the motion on the writ argued prior to the one requesting dismissal, the jurist replied:

“Mr. Manson. Until the Constitution makes different arrangements, the court will decide the order in which motions will be heard.”

When Manson suggested Dep. Dist. Attrys. Aaron Stovitz and Vincent Bugliosi had filed answers to his motions “prematurely,” the judge said firmly:

“Mr. Manson. This is not a 20-question session,” referring to the once popular radio-television quiz game.

But the day was not a total loss for the normally garrulous little ex-convict.

During the afternoon, it appeared he won Round 1 in what is believed to be a bid by him to manipulate his co-defendants through their lawyers.

Leslie Van Houten, 19, appeared before Superior Judge George M. Dell and asked that her court-appointed attorney, Marvin L. Part, be replaced by a private lawyer, Ira K. Reiner.

After a brief courtroom hearing, preceded by lengthy arguments in chambers, Judge Dell acceded, and Reiner — a frequent visitor to Manson in jail — took over her defense.

Reiner assured Judge Dell he had “never discussed the actual facts of the case” with Manson and that his representing Miss Van Houten would not constitute “conflict.”

He also told Judge Dell he never had met Denver attorney Francis Salazar.

Salazar had said earlier this week that Manson is trying to manuever all defendants in the Tate-LaBianca murders under a common legal shelter, and that all presently are ‘acting on concert.” Salazar claimed he himself would be defending “one or more” of the co-defendants, possibly including Manson.

Salazar, by his own admission, has held lengthy consultations with members of the Manson Family still at liberty. And it is known that at least one such member visited Miss Van Houten shortly before she asked Reiner to take her case.

Judge Dell ordered Manson brought into his courtroom to determine if the hippie guru himself had any objection to Reiner defending Miss Van Houten. Manson’s face broke into a broad grin, and he replied: “I don’t have any view.”

“You may think that’s funny; I don’t,” the judge said. “Unless you state clearly you have no objection, I’m not going to grant Miss Van Houten’s request.

“I have no objection,” Manson said, his grin broadening even more as he raised his eyebrows in mirth.

Manson’s presence in Judge Dell’s courtroom marked the first confrontation between him and one of his co-defendants. It was an electric one, as had been anticipated.

When Miss Van Houten saw him, she smiled expressively at him. Manson responded in kind and almost throughout the hearing, they appeared to alternately moon at one another, then make funny faces.

Jail authorities said Manson’s disheveled appearance in court and his lack of book and pencil were of his own choosing. Even though he had been placed in an “adjustment center” (solitary confinement), shortly after 5 a.m.

By RON EINSTOSS and JERRY COHEN