Manson Says Court Has Shown Him No Respect
Wednesday, June 10th, 1970
LOS ANGELES, Jun. 10 – “The court has showed no respect to me,” Charles Manson retorted Tuesday as he was removed from a courtroom after the hippie cult leader insisted on turning his back to the judge.
Manson, in court for a hearing on a motion to dismiss murder charges against him in the Tate-LaBianca slayings, told Superior Court Judge Malcolm Lucas, “I have no part in these proceedings.”
Lucas advised Manson’s attorney, Irving A. Kanarek, that Manson “is not above the law” and following a short recess ordered the defendant taken to a holding cell.
“You’re the one that tied my hands—I didn’t tie yours,” Manson shouted as be was taken out of the courtroom.
Lucas then denied the motion to dismiss the charges and another motion that the trial transferred to another part of the state.
The judge noted that it was not necessary for a defendant to be present during pretrial proceedings and said a transcript of the hearing would be sent to the 35-year-old Manson. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday but further delays are anticipated.
While Manson appeared in court, another member of his “family,” Robert K. Beausoleil, sought a new trial in another killing attributed by police to the hippie cult.
Beausoleil, convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Musician Gary Hinman, said the prosecution’s star witness was forced to testify at his trial that Manson actually killed Hinman, but Mary Brunner, another member of the family; testified that Beausoleil killed Hinman on Manson’s orders.
Acting as his own attorney, Beausoleil questioned the mother of Miss Brunner, Mrs. Elsie Brunner of Eau Claire, Wis., Tuesday.
Mrs. Brunner denied that anyone ever threatened to take the 2-year-old boy and said she now had legal custody of him. The boy was fathered by Manson.
Mrs. Brunner testified that she talked with her daughter last week and asked Mary why she recanted her testimony in an affidavit Beausoleil presented to the court.
According to Mrs. Brunner, her daughter replied: “I couldn’t stand to be free and have the others in jail.”
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