Key takeaways:
- On Tuesday, a California appeals court ruled that Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted of two killings in 1969 at the direction of cult leader Charles Manson, should be released on parole.
- Van Houten has been recommended for parole five times since 2016, but each of those recommendations were rejected by either Governor Gavin Newsom or former Governor Jerry Brown.
- Van Houten has been in prison for over 50 years and is now 68 years old. She has expressed remorse for her actions and has been a model prisoner.
On Tuesday, a California appeals court ruled that Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted of two killings in 1969 at the direction of cult leader Charles Manson, should be released on parole. This ruling overturns a decision made by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 to deny Van Houten parole.
Van Houten has been recommended for parole five times since 2016, but each of those recommendations were rejected by either Newsom or former California Governor Jerry Brown. The most recent rejection came in March of 2022.
In response to the appeals court ruling, Governor Newsom’s office referred requests for comment to the California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta could petition the California Supreme Court to stop Van Houten’s release.
Van Houten has been in prison for over 50 years and is now 68 years old. She has expressed remorse for her actions and has been a model prisoner. It is unclear what the next steps are in the process of her release.
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