Lies and Lifes: The Menendez Brothers' Legal Battle

The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, are currently serving life sentences without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose. The Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, recently asked the court to withdraw the previous DA's motion for their resentencing. Hochman believes the brothers' claims of self-defense are false and that they have not met the standards for rehabilitation. Hochman's decision comes after a thorough review of trial transcripts, prison records, and videotaped trial testimony. He also met with Menendez family members, defense attorneys, and past prosecutors. The DA's office is prepared to go forward with the hearing regarding their resentencing case, which is set for March 20 and 21. The brothers' initial claims of innocence and self-defense have been widely disputed. They initially proclaimed their innocence and said the murders may have been Mafia hits. The truth about the brothers being responsible came after Erik Menendez confessed to his therapist and that confession tape was turned over to the police. The brothers later claimed that they were victims of sex abuse from their father and believed their parents were going to kill them. However, Hochman claimed "the self-defense defense was a fabrication. " Self-defense wasn't mentioned in the confession to the therapist. The brothers have never fully admitted to their lies about their self-defense claims or the attempts to suborn perjury. They also lied about the circumstances of the murders, such as the position of their parents when they were shot and their alleged fear for their lives. The brothers' family members, who want them released, have criticized Hochman's announcement, saying he is ignoring "the fact they were repeatedly abused, feared for their lives, and have atoned for their actions. " The brothers have been pursuing two other paths to freedom. One is their habeas corpus petition, which they filed in 2023 for a review of two new pieces of evidence not presented at trial: a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin eight months before the murders detailing his alleged abuse from his father, and allegations from a former boy band member who revealed in 2023 that he was raped by Jose Menendez. Hochman announced in February that he's asked the court to deny the habeas corpus petition, arguing the new evidence isn't credible or admissible. The third path to freedom is through the brothers' request for clemency, which has been submitted to Newsom. On Feb. 26, Newsom announced that he's ordering the parole board to conduct a 90-day "comprehensive risk assessment" investigation into whether the brothers pose "an unreasonable risk to the public" if they're granted clemency and released.