Erik and Lyle Menendez are now eligible for parole after judge resentences them
A California judge on Tuesday resentenced Erik and Lyle Menendez, making the siblings eligible for parole in the shotgun killings of their parents more than three decades ago.
The ruling from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic came after months of delays, opposition from Los Angeles County's new top prosecutor and a series of witnesses who testified that Erik and Lyle had changed for the better and are now "different men," as a cousin, Anamaria Baralt, put it.
Jesic said they would be resentenced to 50 years to life, a prison term that will make them immediately eligible for parole. He said he did not believe they posed an "unreasonable risk" if released.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 14, 2025 6:54 AM
|
Hooray!!!
I'm very happy for them.
They've served their time, and didn't deserve to die in jail.
I hope they can live out the remainder of their years, doing something productive with their lives.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 14, 2025 3:36 AM
|
Prior to being voted out of office in November, former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón cited the siblings’ “exceptional” prison records and rehabilitation efforts and recommended that they be resentenced to 50 years to life in prison. The former prosecutor’s efforts were backed by many of the victims’ relatives and some celebrities.
Gascón’s successor, Nathan Hochman, opposed their release, saying the brothers had not taken full responsibility for a series of “unacknowledged” lies that he said they told about the killings.
“Our position is not no or not never,” Hochman said of their resentencing before Tuesday’s hearing. “It’s not yet. The Menendez brothers have failed to come clean with the full extent of their criminal conduct, their cover up, their lies and their deceit over the past 30 years.”
A lawyer for the brothers, Mark Geragos, accused the prosecutor of trying to “relitigate” the facts of the case and said the only issue before the judge was determining whether the defendants will commit a “superstrike,” or a serious crime.
"On a day like today, redemption is possible,” Geragos said after Jesic made his ruling. "We’re one huge step closer to bringing the boys home."
The judge’s ruling only makes the brothers eligible for parole. The state’s parole board will still have to find them suitable for release, a process that is subject to review by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
As part of a separate clemency request the brothers filed with Newsom, he ordered the board to conduct an evaluation to determine what danger the brothers may pose if released. Hochman said that evaluation, known as a comprehensive risk assessment, found that the brothers were at “moderate risk” of violence.
The parole board is expected to submit its clemency recommendation to the governor on June 13.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 14, 2025 3:40 AM
|
Ah, the Gay Panic Defense. Works every time.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 14, 2025 3:58 AM
|
[quote]Hooray!!! I'm very happy for them.
We know, Rosie.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 14, 2025 4:12 AM
|
I have those exact same sweaters they are wearing in that old photo. Don't know how I feel about it.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 14, 2025 4:32 AM
|
How much money do they have left from the killings? I hope they didn't spend it all on Pop Tarts from the commissary in jail.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 14, 2025 5:14 AM
|
They'll have to pay off Roy Rosello for backing up their abuse allegations.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 14, 2025 6:54 AM
|
