Manson originally was given a death sentence. I don’t recall whether others in the gang were. But he and every other death row puke in the country were commuted to lifers by 9 men in black robes. When the berobed later reinstated a slightly modified death penalty they didn’t allow any they’d elevated to lifers, no matter how flagrant their guilt, to be considered for it.
The California Suoreme Court is composed of seven members. Years back the Court voted 4-3 that the death penalty violated the California constitution. All the death-row prisoners’ sentences were reduced to a term of life (with the possibility of parole). Outraged California voters removed the four justices in a subsequent recall election.