the explanation to these built they say we are doing this because we want to make sure the next charlie mansoncomes in we can punish them appropriately. there's a lot of viewing this case as a cautionary tale. a lot of fear about this case repeating itself manson and the disciples are often mentioned. here's jerry brown today use jerry brown when he was young and governor california in the 70s he gets letters from the aclu the legislative analyst office from the lapd police union saying please don't pull the sentence off every time a heinous crime is gonna come up punishment is gonna skyrocket and jerry belts not attentive listening to the helter-skelter argument ratchets up the platform for punishment and this is probably how we get these increasingly severe sentences in california ever since. in 1988 there's an extra layer to this is that's where we at the governor's veto before that the government could it veto the decisions now the governor has a political jn denae after the board makes its decision. on top of everything the commissioners become political appointees by the governor so you'

lapd cracks the crime, they bring them to trial, and in 1971 all of the people who are on trial, charlie manson, the three women known as the manson girls, patricia krenwinkel, text watson -- tex watson, a few other aecoming polices are all found guilty, and they all get the death penalty. but there's a reversal of fortune because only a year after all these people are sentenced to death, the death penalty is abolished in california. so at the time, there's a case called people v. anderson in which the court says the death penalty is unconstitutional, it debases california can, you know, it's inhumane. they basically do away with it, and this really angers people in california. ronald reagan, who's the governor at the time, is just outraged at the courts partly because they're all waiting to hear a supreme court decision in a case some of you may have halted, berman v. georgia, which halted the death penalty in the united states for four years. at the time there was some pretty serious people on death row in california. and because of this decision, 107 people that are later known as the class

it all made perfect sense to charlie manson. >> coming up, manson's unshakeable hold on his family. >s, he sings. he looks beautiful. he looks happy. and this draws a lot of people. >> and the possible motive behind the murders. >> charlie would be king of the world. >> but that's crazy talk. >> it wasn't to us. >> when "dateline" continues. the first and only full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel available over-the-counter. new voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. voltaren. the joy of movement. new voltaren is powerful arudy got older and suddenlyel. stopped eating...t, then we found freshpet. now rudy's 13, and going on 3. ♪ people are surprising themselves the moment realize they can du more with less asthma. thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause se