Malcolm Lucas from the University of Southern California in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws from the USC Gould School of Law in 1953. From 1954 to 1967, he was in private practice in Long Beach, California. From 1967 to 1971, he was a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In February 1970, Lucas was the trial judge in the prosecution of Charles Manson for the murder of actress Sharon Tate, which continued through January 1971. In June 1970, Lucas had Manson removed from the courtroom due to his disruptive behavior. On July 8, 1971, President Richard Nixon nominated Lucas
Charles Manson Family members were also responsible for other assaults, thefts, crimes, and the attempted assassination of United States President Gerald Ford in Sacramento by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. On March 6, 1970, (the day the court vacated Manson's status as his own attorney), "", an album of Manson music, was released. This included "Cease to Exist", a Manson composition the Beach Boys had recorded with modified lyrics and the title "Never Learn Not to Love". Over the next couple of months only about 300 of the album's 2,000 copies sold. Manson was admitted to state prison from Los Angeles County on April