Committing a crime in the state of California can carry a number of charges. According to a report released by the Los Angeles Superior Court, there are a variety of penal code violations that are associated with murder or manslaughter. Some people facing murder charges are not offered bail at all. However, depending on the type of violation, a Los Angeles bail bond will be set for an individual, who will be able to figure out the next step to take. However, not all murders or manslaughter cases come with a bail, which was the case for Charles Manson.

Investigators might have new leads that will give them further insight into the deaths four decades after one of California's most notorious murders. According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Schell recently ruled that Charles Watson, one of the men charged in the Manson family murders, waived his right to his attorney-client privilege when he allowed his lawyer to sell taped conversations regarding the night of the murders. After Watson's lawyer died in 2009, a judge ruled that the LAPD was able to obtain the tapes, however, Watson argued in court that the property was "privileged." Although Watson has said the conversations on the tapes will not bring any new evidence to light, the LAPD still wants to obtain the tapes as soon as possible.

The LAPD is pleased to be able to access the tapes
It is believed Charles Manson ordered his followers to murder seven individuals in Tate's home, and prosecutors for the case believe that Manson is also linked to other murders from several decades ago. The source reported that LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said he is sending out several detectives to Texas to acquire the tapes from Watson's former lawyer's estate.

Since the recent ruling, Cmdr. Smith said detectives are eager to listen to the tapes to see if they contain new information.

"We are looking forward to getting these tapes and thoroughly analyzing their content," he said. "The Manson crime spree is one of the most notorious cases in Southern California. We owe it to the victims and their families to ensure every facet of the case is thoroughly and completely investigated."

Judge Schell's ruling came after Craig Hammond was arrested for attempting to smuggle a cell phone into the Corcoran State Prison for Charles Manson on March 26. According to The Associated Press, Watson was referred to as the "chief lieutenant" in the 1969 murders. He was originally sentenced to the death penalty, which was later switched to a life sentence when the death penalty was outlawed in California 1972 for a short period of time.