Apr. 16 – A month after Leslie Van Houten won freedom through California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal, Patricia Krenwinkel was in Los Angeles County Superior Court filing a petition of her own.

On June 30, 2023, Krenwinkel filed a writ of habeas corpus, challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s reversal of her 2022 parole suitability finding.

Her petition argued that Gov. Newsom failed to give any weight to her experience of intimate partner battering; or adequate consideration to youth and elderly parole. Additionally, she argued that use of insight as a basis for parole denial is unconstitutional.

Krenwinkel, 76, was scheduled to have her subsequent parole hearing at the end of last year. It was postponed because she was waiting on the court to rule on her writ.

In January, Judge William C. Ryan denied Krenwinkel’s petition stating:
“This court is not entitled to reweigh the evidence before the Governor; rather, it is tasked with determining whether the record contains some evidence in support of the Governor’s decision. The court concludes that it does.”

Last week, Krenwinkel waived her right to a parole hearing for one year. It is expected that she will pursue this matter in the appellate court where Van Houten prevailed last year.