Texas Orders Murder Suspect Extradited
Wednesday, June 24th, 1970
AUSTIN, Tex., Jun. 24 – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today ordered Charles Denton Watson extradited to California to stand trial in the Sharon Tate murders. Watson’s attorney indicated he would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Watson’s chief attorney, Bill Boyd of McKinney, Tex., has said he would fight the case in an attempt to keep Watson from having to stand trial with Charles Manson and other members of his “family” in the Tate-Labianca murder case in Los Angeles.
Boyd has said Watson, 24, a high school football and track star from Farmersville, Tex, could not get a fair trial anywhere in California because of publicity about the murder of Miss Tate and her four house guests Aug. 8 and the similar slayings of a prominent grocer and his wife the next night.
With this argument Boyd asked the highest criminal appeals court in Texas for a new extradition hearing. The court overruled that motion today.
In arguing the case the Texas attorney general said Texas has no reason or right to prejudge a case to be tried in another state.”
Boyd appeared before the court June 17 and argued that it was so obvious Watson cannot get a fair trial in California that the court should set a precedent and refuse to extradite accused criminals in cases that receive such “spectacular” publicity.
Boyd suggested Watson be tried in federal court in some other state.
Watson was arrested Nov. 31 in McKinney, Tex., after a statement by Susan Denise Atkins implicated him in the slayings.
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