Talk:Leslie Van Houten

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I made some minor edits to clarify that most of what has been recorded about Leslie Van Houten is the POV of the Los Angeles County District Attny's office. Who has a vested interest in demonizing her for political reasons.


Go screw yourself.


Reply: You are entitled to your opinion, but the last line of your commentary seriously disinclines me to consider you to be unbiased or objective in any way.

You have not proven that the DA has any such "vested interest".


I think that she should be free look they took advantage ...the others need to stay in jail cuz they r messed

I think Leslie did enough to demonize herself when she did not call the police to the Labianca residence, kept Mrs. Labianca from escaping, stabbed Mrs. Labianca several times, stole clothing and pocket change, drank and ate milk and sandwich materials that did not belong to her, did not call the police the next day, etc.....Why would the DA or anyone else have to bother to demonize, they couldn't top Leslie's own stupid actions?


If you have followed the case, you would know that Van Houten is FAR less culpable than any of the others...she wasn't even at Tate. Why members of Tate's family are allowed to speak at her parole hearing is beyond me. She did a terrible thing, and she absolutely deserved to go to jail. But she's been in prison since she was 19 years old...I think she's something like 54 right now. I pretty much think her life has been ruined, regardless of whether she gets let out. Not that I think they will let her out...as soon as someone says "Manson," all rational discussion goes out the window. By the way, my politics are more right-wing than left-wing...so I don't normally support letting people like this out. Asc85 23:53, 6 May 2006 (UTC)


Disregarding the actual degree of culpability to which one may ascribe Van Houten, the girl was certainly present at the crime scene--and, if she DID stab "someone", that "someone" was (with almost total certainty) Rosemary La Bianca. I believe that the victim--Rosemary La Bianca--much deserves to be referred to BY NAME in the 6th paragraph. Not to do so smacks of disrespect, NPOV or not.

Don't know who you people are commenting here, or what you were to either the perp or the victim (Ms. La Bianca), but I DID know Leslie when she was an adolescent, and she was one of the sweetest, nicest girls that ever there was. I gasp at the horror of having spent one's entire adult life in a cage. Yes, murder is unequivocably and irrevocably wrong. Still, I can't get over the fact that the "justice system" such as we have it, is barbaric in its application in many cases. There would be a better way, if only anyone cared.


  • Whether ms Van Houten is "a threat to society" or not, the members of the parole board have the public opinion to think about, as well. Anyone that is still connected to reality understands that a woman in her fifties is not a "threat to society" per se, but rather releasing her could be percieved as a threat. Plus, a peculiar notion to consider is the safety of ms Van Houten when and if released. There are plenty of nutcases out there -- the members of "the Family" themselves serve as prime examples -- and there's no way to predict what, or rather who could and would happen to Van Houten is she's re-introduced back into the society at large. The end result of all this is quite interesting; even when taken into consideration ms Van Houten's spotless and almost exemplary prison record, the parole board is more or less forced to take the route of convenience instead of the road of justice. Factual issues, such as Van Houten nowadays displaying a character completely compatible with the free society (does anybody here remember that jails are actually called Correctional Facilities?), and that her present persona is nowhere near the drug-fed and brainwashed teenager's, seem to have absolutely no value whatsoever to the parole board members. Injust? Sure. Biased? Of course. Convenient? You betcha.