In re Van Houten
Opinion
Opinion
Filed 5/30/23
CERTIFIED FOR PUBLICATION
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION ONE
In re B320098
LESLIE VAN HOUTEN (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. A253156) on Habeas Corpus.
ORIGINAL PROCEEDING; petition for writ of habeas corpus, Ronald S. Coen, Judge. Petition granted. Nancy L. Tetreault and Rich Pfeiffer for Petitioner. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Phillip J. Lindsay, Assistant Attorney General, Julie A. Malone, Jennifer L. Heinisch, and Jennifer O. Cano, Deputy Attorneys General, for Respondent. ____________________________ Leslie Van Houten petitions for a writ of habeas corpus challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s reversal of her 2020 grant of parole. Van Houten is serving concurrent sentences of seven years to life for the 1969 murders of Rosemary and Leno La Bianca, which she committed with other members of a cult led by Charles Manson. This is the fourth time a governor has reversed Van Houten’s parole.1 In his reversal decision, the Governor found inadequate Van Houten’s explanation of how she fell under Manson’s influence and engaged in her life crimes. The Governor…