LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7 — The district attorney’s office is looking into accusations that Superior Court Judge Charles Older, who presided over the Manson Family trial, threatened two students with a pistol after a traffic accident.

Older reportedly conceded he took the pistol from the glove compartment of his car, but said he did not point it at the students and reached for the gun only because they appeared dangerous.

The district attorney’s office said Thursday it was reviewing the decision not to bring charges against Older, made by a deputy district attorney who had supported Older for reelection.

David Paulin, 23, of USC, and Joseph Rimio, 22, of UCLA, said that a Lincoln Continental driven by Older rear ended their small foreign car three times near the UCLA campus Nov. 18 and the driver appeared to be trying to leave the scene.

They said they blocked the auto’s path and demanded that the driver show them his license so they would have his identity.

Instead the driver pointed a pistol at them, but finally showed them his license when one of the students fetched a tire iron, then drove off, they said.

The students said they had the license number of the auto and spent several days trying to get authorities to take action against Older.

Lewis Watnick, deputy district attorney in charge of the West Los Angeles area, made the decision not to bring charges against Older.

Watnick was a member of “the lawyers committee to reelect Judge Charles Older” this year and signed a campaign statement supporting the judge.

Watnick said he had forgotten about the campaign involvement, but that had nothing to do with his decision not to pursue charges. “Judge Older might not have used the best judgment,” he said, “but I’m sure he was scared…there was no criminal intent.”

He said the students were “clean cut boys” but “I’d hate to meet them in a dark alley because of their size. They looked real strong.”

The district attorney’s office said Older said he bumped the students’ car only once, and removed the pistol from his glove compartment because they appeared threatening and were blocking his path and sitting on his car’s hood.

The judge said he placed the pistol in his lap but did not point it at anyone.

Older has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, investigators said.

Deputy District Attorney Robert Johnson is reviewing Watnick’s decision not to prosecute, and expected to complete the task next week.

Older presided over the trial of Charles Manson and his followers for the Sharon Tate murders, one of the most heavily publicized criminal trials of modern times. He was also involved in a long and complex legal struggle over journalists’ rights, by jailing Los Angeles Times reporter William Farr for Farr’s refusal to reveal confidential news sources who broke Older’s “gag order” by leaking Manson trial material.