• Manson-Cult Jury Selection Closing

Manson-Cult Jury Selection Closing

LOS ANGELES, Jul. 11 – The jury to hear the Tate-LaBianca murder trial is expected to be seated Monday, prosecutors indicated Friday as the fourth week of jury selection came to an end.

The prosecutors’ decision not to challenge any more jurors came only two days after they announced it would be “at least a month” before 12 satisfactory panelists could be found.

The surprise move by the DA’s representative led to speculation that the latest announcement was, perhaps, another ploy in the “game” of selecting a jury.

Thus far the prosecution has eliminated 10 jurors by peremptory challenge, compared with six for the defense.

Ten times the entire defense team has accepted the jury “as constituted,” while the prosecution has systematically eliminated all members of minority groups — Mexican-Americans, Negroes and Jews. Only one Mexican-American remains on the panel.

Last juror temporarily seated was the 141st to be questioned in the marathon jury quiz.

The panel currently includes two ex-policemen, a social worker, a mortician and several housewives.

The long, slow process of jury selection has been held mostly behind closed doors as have motions submitted.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Older ruled that the selection process be kept secret in order to keep the jury unbiased.

Hippie cult leader Charles Manson, who spent most of the past week in chambers, indicated to newsmen by hand signals that the entire process was insane.

By MARY NEISWENDER

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