In a dramatic Los Angeles courtroom showdown Friday, Erik and Lyle Menendez secured a critical victory when a judge denied District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s motion to dismiss their resentencing petition – teeing up an April 17 hearing that could potentially reduce their first-degree murder convictions to manslaughter and win their immediate release.
The brothers, now in their 50s, appeared via video feed from prison wearing blue uniforms as prosecutors argued against the resentencing petition originally filed by former DA George Gascón.
Deputy DAs repeatedly asserted the brothers hadn’t changed since their 1996 conviction for killing their parents, pointing to their maintained claim that they acted out of fear for their lives. The brothers exchanged disbelieving glances during these arguments, at times shaking their heads in visible frustration.
Their attorney Mark Geragos countered by highlighting three decades of rehabilitation – including testimony from a corrections officer who’d welcome Lyle as a neighbor and accounts of their prison improvement projects like creating murals and planting trees.
Outside court, Geragos called the ruling their “biggest day since they’ve been in custody” while criticizing prosecutors for unexpectedly showing graphic crime scene photos that traumatized family members present, including Erik’s wife Tammi and adopted daughter Talia.
The high-profile hearing attracted unusual spectators including actor Cooper Koch, who recently portrayed Erik in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” The circus-like atmosphere outside included guitarists performing folk songs about the case – a preview of the heightened attention expected at next week’s pivotal hearing where Geragos will argue for manslaughter convictions.
Should the judge downgrade their charges, the brothers could walk free immediately having already served more than California’s maximum 11-year manslaughter sentence.
Even if unsuccessful, Governor Gavin Newsom has referred their case to the parole board for a June 13 review – meaning the Menendezes now have two potential paths to freedom after 34 years behind bars.
