Efforts to reduce the life without parole sentences of Eric and Lyle Menendez have stalled after the firing of Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor, who earlier this month recommended a new sentence paving the way for the brothers’ release. .
That uncertainty remains for now after a judge ruled Monday that a Dec. 11 reconsideration hearing should be postponed to give the county’s new district attorney time to consider the case. It will remain.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jessick also said he needed more time to consider the recommendations and rescheduled the hearings for January 30 and January 31.
In a statement after the hearing, incoming District Attorney Nathan Hockman said the postponement would allow him enough time to review what he said was an extensive case file and consult with prosecutors, defense attorneys and family members. Ta.
“I look forward to thoroughly considering all the facts and the law, making a fair and just decision, and defending myself in court,” he said.
The brothers were scheduled to appear in court for the first time in years, but technical issues prevented the remote broadcast from the San Diego prison where they are being held. Two of their aunts testified at Monday’s status conference, and the brothers’ attorney said during a brief news conference that it was an “ardent plea” to send Eric and Lyle home.
Eric’s stepdaughter said Monday that the family continues to come together to bring the brothers home. Although the judge’s delay was not “the outcome we had hoped for,” “we remain optimistic that this represents progress in securing their freedom,” she said in a statement. Ta.
The brothers were serving 35 years in prison for the shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989.
Last month, outgoing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said he supported commuting their sentences to 50 years to life. If his sentence is commuted, he will be immediately eligible for parole.
The judge is responsible for rejecting or upholding Gascón’s decision.
The recommendation was made after the brothers’ case was reviewed by a specialized unit within Gascón’s office, which aims to implement counterclaim laws aimed at reform.
Although their crimes were brutal and premeditated, Gascón acknowledged that the brothers were model prisoners. They have paid their debt to society and no longer pose a threat to public safety, he said.
Gascon’s decision was praised by many members of the Mendendes family. They advocated for the men’s release and pointed to the horrific abuse their brothers suffered at the hands of their father.
The brothers’ supporters say the killing was an act of desperate self-defense, an argument echoing the defense their lawyers advanced in two murder trials in the 1990s.
Prosecutors said the abuse allegations were a misguided attempt to cover up what authorities say were the brothers’ true motive: gaining access to their family’s multimillion-dollar fortune.
The first trial ended in a hanging because the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in the second trial.
Gascón acknowledged that his recommendations remain polarized within the company, with some prosecutors believing the abuse charges while others saying the brothers should remain in prison for the rest of their lives. claims.
In addition to their outrage, the brothers have sought freedom through requests for clemency from California Governor Gavin Newsom and through petitions challenging their convictions.
The petition, filed in May 2023, includes what Geragos said was evidence that Jose Menendez was abusing Erik Menendez in the months before Jose Menendez killed his parents. Included.
Both efforts are ongoing.
