Menendez brothers face parole hearing when seeking release thirty years later | Los Angeles

Brothers Menendez Plans to face separate parole hearings starting Thursday Los Angeles Home.

Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 for killing their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez in 1989 at their mansion in Beverly Hills. They were 18 and 21 years old at the time. Defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, and prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents with millions of dollars in inheritance.

A team of two to three parole hearing officers from the committee will evaluate each brother through a video conference. Erik Menendez will hold a hearing Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez at the San Diego Prison.

The brothers were eligible for parole after the Los Angeles judge sentenced from prison in May without parole for 50 years, which allowed them to be eligible for parole immediately California The law is because they were over 26 when they committed the crime.

According to the California Department of Corrections and the Department of Rehabilitation, the board will assess whether the brothers release “unreasonable risks to social dangers”, taking into account factors such as criminal history, the motivation for crime and remorse, behavior in prison, and future plans.

Even if the board grants parole, it could take months for the brothers – if anything. If the board grants parole to each brother, the chief legal counsel has 120 days of review. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom then had 30 days to affirm or deny parole. Only in this way can the Menendez brothers be able to leave the prison if Newsom affirms parole.

Newsom had previously ordered the National Parole Board to conduct a risk assessment of the brothers based on a wide-ranging request. At that time, he emphasized that the key question was whether the brothers posed an “unreasonable risk to public safety.”

He noted in a May press conference that he had previously approved and rejected the decision of the parole board and that he was the “final arbitrator.”

The brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos sought release last month for Erik Menendez after being hospitalized for a “severe medical condition”. He returned to prison after that.

The case has attracted the attention of real crime lovers for decades and has produced documentary, TV specials and drama. Netflix TV series Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez and documentary Menendez Brothers were both released in 2024 and have been praised for attracting new attention from the brothers.

Last year, support from celebrities like Kim Kardashian and greater recognition of fraternal victims of sexual abuse helped build up a bunch of supporters calling for their release. Over the past few months, some have flew to Los Angeles, held rally and attended court hearings as the brothers’ attorneys pushed their grudges.

Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón first asked the judge to reduce his sentence last fall, giving the brothers freedom. His office said in a petition that since the conviction, the brothers have been educated, attended self-help classes, and set up various support groups for fellow countrymen in prison.

The judge decided to finally resent the brothers, who were then recoiled by a few months after the current prosecutor, who believed the brothers were not responsible enough for their crimes.

Menendez Brothers still filed a habeas order petition in May 2023 to review their beliefs based on new evidence in support of their father’s claims of sexual abuse. Last month, another judge ordered Los Angeles prosecutors to explain why their case should not be reviewed.

The state correction department has selected a media representative to actually view the program and share notes with other media at set intervals.