I agree with this. His psychological state at the time made it unlikely he would have faced a massive jail sentence in any case (as the plea-bargaining showed), and him fleeing to France simply exasperated the problem over the course of 30 years. If he'd faced the music, the whole matter would have been done and dusted decades ago, even if there was no accounting of his psychological state and they'd thrown the full book at him.

Now, losing his wife and unborn child in the Manson murders absolutely does not excuse his actions even remotely, but it does engender a certain sympathy for him in some quarters, especially in Hollywood where the murders took place. Since the victim has also applied to have the charges dismissed, this has led many people to conclude the whole matter is no longer relevant and should be dropped.

My view is that the law is the law is the law. He broke it, he's run afoul of it now, and he will face the consequences if Switzerland extradites him (and they may not, in the face of strong French and Polish opposition). To be honest, I find it unlikely he'd be locked up for very long if he was extradited. Maybe a year or two simply as a punishment for fleeing from justice. Since he is not a danger to the public now, anything more than that would be seen as a waste of taxpayer's money.