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Parole hearing set for the Menendez brothers
Erik Menendez, left, and his brother, Lyle, sit in a Beverly Hills courtroom in 1992.
(
Nick Ut
/
Associated Press
)
Topline:
A clemency hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez was converted Thursday into a parole hearing, bringing them one step closer to freedom. The move comes just days after the two were resentenced and made eligible for parole, according to CBS News.
Backstory: Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. On Tuesday, a judge reduced that sentence to 50 years to life in prison, citing the brothers' rehabilitation work on themselves and their efforts to help others in prison.
Why now: The resentencing made them eligible for parole under California’s Youthful Offender law, which states that people who commit crimes before age 26 and have served at least 15 years can go before the parole board to ask for freedom.
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What’s next: June 13 was originally scheduled by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for the parole board to hear a comprehensive risk assessment of the brothers. The assessment was ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is considering granting them clemency.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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