The
Closing Argument... Closing Argument
The State of California v.
Charles Manson)
by Vincent Bugliosi
Los Angeles, California, January 15,
1971 Your honor, defense counsel, ladies, and gentlemen: As you
know, the defendants Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel are
charged with the five Tate murders occurring on August the ninth, 1969, and they
are charged with the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, on August 10, 1969.
They are also charged with the crime of conspiracy to commit murder. The
defendant Leslie Van Houten is not charged with the five Tate murders. She is
charged with the murder ofLeno and Rosemary LaBianca, and with the crime of conspiracy
to commit murder. When the prosecution finally called its last witness
to the stand a few weeks ago and rested, the defense also rested. DEFENDANT
MANSON: The defense never rested. The lawyers, the judge's lawyers, rested. MR.
BUGLIOSI: I am sure all of you heaved a sigh of relief. It has been an incredibly
long, grueling trial and an enormous imposition on all of you. Before I discuss
the evidence and the testimony in this case, I would like to briefly go over the
law that you are going to be dealing with during your deliberations. . . . Although
the evidence at this trial shows that Charles Manson was the leader of the conspiracy
to commit these murders, there is no evidence that he actually personally killed
any of the seven victims in this case. However, the joint responsibility rule
of conspiracy makes him guilty of all seven murders. DEFENDANT MANSON:
Even if I have never been in the Gotham Bank! MR. BUGLIOSI: Now that you
have had a little legal background, I would like to discuss with you the evidence
and the facts of this case. In a very general fashion I am going to start
out summarizing the testimony of the witnesses on the Tate murders; then summarize
the testimony of witnesses on the LaBianca murders, and then finally the testimony
of witnesses who testified to both the Tate and the LaBianca murders. Ruby
Pearl testified that she has worked at Spahn Ranch for twenty years, and in recent
years had been the manager of the ranch working for Mr. Spahn who is some eighty-three
years old.
more
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