By Jackie Luna and Daniel Trotta
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Los Angeles County choose on Monday postponed a listening to over the attainable launch of Lyle and Erik Menendez after 35 years in jail for the shotgun homicide of their mother and father, saying he needed to listen to from a brand new district legal professional as a result of take workplace on Dec. 3.
“I’m not ready to go forward,” Superior Court docket Choose Michael Jesic advised a listening to. “I want the new administration to go through the documents.”
The Menendez brothers had been convicted of first-degree homicide and sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole after the second of two extremely publicized trials for killing their mother and father, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
The case captivated the U.S. within the Nineteen Nineties due to the brothers’ wealth and privilege because the sons of a report firm and leisure trade govt. A current Netflix (NASDAQ:) documentary collection raised the brand new proof and revived public curiosity within the case.
That proof supported their claims they had been sexually abused by their father for years, resulting in the outgoing district legal professional to assist their launch.
In Monday’s listening to, protection legal professionals sought to scale back their first-degree homicide conviction to voluntary manslaughter, which might make them eligible for launch.
The choose rescheduled the listening to for Jan. 30 however nonetheless determined to listen to the testimony of two Menendez kin who assist the discharge of the brothers, now 56 and 53. The brothers had been meant to observe the continuing by video hyperlink from jail, however technical difficulties prevented them from watching, a minimum of briefly.
The brothers stated they had been the victims of abuse whereas prosecutors argued the pair sought the multimillion-dollar fortune of their mother and father. Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 on the time of the murders.
Los Angeles County District Lawyer George Gascon stated the brand new proof mixed with a extra fashionable understanding of sexual abuse led him to ask for resentencing of the Menendez brothers, saying they’d paid their debt to society.
However Gascon was later defeated within the Nov. 5 election and can depart workplace on Dec. 3.
Incoming District Lawyer Nathan Hochman has but to take a place on the case.
Gascon has stated there isn’t any doubt the brothers killed their mother and father however cited a letter Erik Menendez purportedly wrote to a cousin eight months earlier than the murders during which he referred to the abuse.
Investigators are also analyzing allegations from a member of the Nineteen Eighties pop band Menudo who stated he was abused by Jose Menendez. These allegations had been publicized final yr in Peacock documentary collection referred to as “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.”
Had the proof been introduced at trial, the jury might have reached a special final result, Gascon stated.
