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California governor to stop fighting against parole for Manson follower

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Kamaji:
California governor to stop fighting against parole for Manson follower Leslie Van Houten

By Richard Pollina
July 8, 2023

One member of the Manson Family — led by deranged cult leader Charles Manson who orchestrated a string of murders in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969 — could be freed in the coming weeks after California governor Gavin Newsom announced he would stop denying her parole.

Leslie Van Houten, 73, has spent more than 50 years behind bars while she serves a life sentence in southern California prison for her involvement in two murders in 1969.

In May, a California appeals court overruled Newsom’s fourth attempt of denying parole eligibility to Van Houten, determining she is entitled to be freed from her prison sentence.

“The governor is disappointed by the Court of Appeal’s decision to release Ms. Van Houten but will not pursue further action as efforts to further appeal are unlikely to succeed,” said Erin Mellon, the governor’s communications director, said.

Van Houten, who was 19 when she was involved with Manson’s cult, is expected to be out on parole in the coming weeks, Nancy Tetreatult, the attorney representing the ex-Manson follower, told NBC News.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/07/08/californias-gavin-newsome-to-stop-fighting-against-parole-for-manson-follower-leslie-van-houten/

mountaineer:
Manson Follower One Big Step Closer to Freedom
Friday, 07 July 2023 09:11 PM EDT

California's governor announced Friday that he won't ask the state Supreme Court to block parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, paving the way for her release after serving 53 years in prison for two infamous murders.

In a brief statement, the governor's office said an appeal was unlikely to succeed.  ...

She was recommended for parole five times since 2016 but Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown rejected all those recommendations.

However, a state appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten should be released, noting what it called her "extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends," and favorable behavior reports while in prison.  ...
Associated Press via Newsmax

PeteS in CA:
Newsom is being realistic. The next stop for the case would have been CA's Supreme Court. Not taking a pretty much certain losing case there saved $$, and Van Houten would have been released within 12-18 months anyway. Would that Noisome acted with common sense at other times.

Kamaji:

--- Quote from: PeteS in CA on July 08, 2023, 02:28:10 pm ---Newsom is being realistic. The next stop for the case would have been CA's Supreme Court. Not taking a pretty much certain losing case there saved $$, and Van Houten would have been released within 12-18 months anyway. Would that Noisome acted with common sense at other times.

--- End quote ---

There is, also, the fact that at 70, she's unlikely to be a serious threat to anyone other than herself, and she will have mounting health care costs that the government will no longer be liable for, to the degree that it would have been liable if she remained in custody.

To be perfectly honest, for all but the worst of the worst who remain unrepentant, letting most of the others out on parole once they hit 75 is probably a reasonable thing to do.  At that point, they are more likely to be a burden than a danger to others.

Fishrrman:
She should have been dead 53 years ago.

Failing that, she should have been required to literally rot in prison.

What is "a life sentence" supposed to mean?

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