The California Court of Appeals has ruled that Leslie Van Houten, convicted of two killings in 1969 at the direction of Charles Manson, should be released on parole. This overturns the decision made by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 to deny Van Houten parole, which was the fifth recommendation for parole since 2016. Governor Newsom's office has referred requests for comment to the California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who could petition the California Supreme Court to stop Van Houten's release.