Briefly: Aaron Stovitz

Aaron Stovitz, who died on 1 February aged 85, was the original prosecutor of Charles Manson and three followers who was removed from the case after a dispute with his boss over out-of-court comments.

Born in Brooklyn in 1924, Stovitz was removed from the Manson trial in 1970 for allegedly talking too much to the media, and was replaced by his younger colleague, Vincent Bugliosi. His removal was a subject of controversy in the legal community for many years. Stovitz said later that he was not bitter but felt the remark that got him removed from the case was "innocuous". He had described comments by defendant Susan Atkins complaining about her health as "a performance worthy of a Sarah Bernhardt".

Stovitz worked as a prosecutor into the 1980s and later served as a municipal court commissioner.