A judge in Los Angeles has postponed the Menendez brothers resentencing hearing to consider a new risk assessment report, extending a legal saga that has garnered public attention for decades.
Erik and Lyle Menendez, convicted in the 1989 murders of their parents, are hoping for a reduced sentence that could potentially lead to parole, but on Thursday the hearing was delayed until May 9. The judge’s decision followed heated discussions in the Van Nuys courtroom over the relevance and admissibility of a comprehensive risk assessment report by the state parole board — an evaluation ordered by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The case’s key question is whether the Menendez brothers, who were sentenced in 1996 to life in state prison without parole, have sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant a reduction to 50 years to life. Such a reduction is pivotal because the brothers were under 26 years old at the time of the grizzly shotgun murders, making them eligible for parole under California’s law regarding youth offenders.
The scheduled hearing faced an early hurdle when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic called for a recess to clarify whether the governor’s report could factor into the resentencing deliberations.
“I need clarification from the governor’s office,” Jesic said, according to published reports. “This is stupid.”
Prosecutors had already reviewed the report, prompting them to file for a postponement, arguing its relevance in evaluating the brothers’ potential risk to society.
“The completion of the Comprehensive Risk Assessments is a significant development in this case,” LA County District Attorney Hochman said in a statement. “It’s critical that Judge Jesic has sufficient time to thoroughly examine its findings and make an informed decision on its admissibility — before any resentencing hearing moves forward. A decision of this magnitude demands the most current and comprehensive information available. These updated Comprehensive Risk Assessments provide crucial insight into whether the inmates pose an unreasonable risk to public safety today.”
Mark Geragos, the attorney representing Erik Menendez, criticized Hochman for making the report a public matter prematurely.
“What has happened here should never happen in a criminal justice system,” Geragos asserted during the tense proceedings.
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, however, maintained the necessity of incorporating the report, given its insights into potential future risks posed by the brothers.
“If there is a report out there assessing the risk of violence, how do we not use it?” Habib said.
Adding to the courtroom tension was the DA’s display of graphic crime scene photos during the hearing. Bryan Freedman, another attorney aligned with the Menendez family, decried the move, emphasizing the emotional toll it took on family members present.
“That’s not dignity,” Freedman remarked. “That’s disrespect. That’s harassment.”
The Menendez story has resonated beyond the courtroom, with public interest sustained by dramatizations, including “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and recent documentaries. Despite public scrutiny, members of the extended Menendez family, barring a late uncle, have expressed forgiveness and support for the brothers’ release.
Legal arguments continue to revolve around the brothers’ defense claims of enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, a point prosecutors contest. They argue that the brothers orchestrated the killings to gain access to their parents’ wealth, a narrative central to their conviction.
The defense, led by former District Attorney George Gascón’s petition for resentencing, highlights the brothers’ rehabilitation efforts and contributions within the correctional system since their imprisonment.
