The interrogations of Erik and Lyle Menendez may last, despite the opposition of the District Prosecutor of Los Angeles, the judge ruled on Friday.
The brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of conditional dismissal aged 18 and 21 after they were convicted of murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez at their home in Beverly Hills.
Former District Prosecutor in Los Angeles George Gascón he asked the judge last year Change the brothers' verdict from life without the possibility of a conditional release for 50 years of life. This made him immediately qualify for conditional dismissal because they committed a crime when they were 26 years old.
But the successor of Gascón reversed the course. Nathan Hochman applied last month to withdraw the application for a again stage design.
Hochman's office said that he could not support the brothers' re -satisfaction, because they did not confess to lies during the trial about why they killed their parents and did not “fully recognized, did not recognize and did not accept full responsibility” for their crime.
The judge of the Supreme Court of Los Angeles, Michael Jesic, said that prosecutors could extend this argument during a sensational dissertation.
“Everything you argued today is an absolutely honest game for interrogation in the next Thursday,” he said.
No brothers' statements
The brothers appeared in court by Zoom, but did not make any public statements.
“They waited a long time for justice, today it is probably the biggest day since they were imprisoned,” said the brothers' lawyer, Mark Geragos about the family.
While the defense argued that after years of sexual abuse they took place from the Father's self -defense, prosecutors said that the brothers killed their parents for the heritage of many millions of dollars.
Deputy District Prosecutor Habib Balian said that the key issue with the backfilling of Gascón's petition was that she did not fully solve rehabilitation and omitted the key elements of the original crime.
“What does it mean? Learning from mistakes and really understand that you were wrong,” said Balian.
He presented evidence and video clips of the brothers' testimonies from the first trial to demonstrate cases in which they “threw fraud, lies and fraud in the bunker.”
He said that the brothers killed their parents out of greed when they learned that they would be removed from will, citing the notes of a psychiatrist, which, as he said, showed: “It wasn't self -defense.”
Geragos called a presentation “a show of dogs and ponies” and said that it was “nothing more than a political cover” as a result of defeating Gascón in the race of the district prosecutor.
“They allowed the denial of sexual abuse,” said Geragos about the presentation of the prosecutor's office.
Defense criticizes the use of a photo
Geragos argued that the judge has full rights to re -scenario in accordance with the California Act adopted in 2023, which allows the court to withdraw the judgment and initiate the re -scenario at any time.
Geragos also opposed Balian, including a photo of the dead and bloody parents of Menendez in his presentation, which said “again” family members and victims.
The cousin of the Anamaria Barralt brothers and Aunt Terry Baralt were among family members who were in the courtroom. Family relations with Hochman chose.
Most of the brothers' family family support their scenery again. Tamara Goodall, a cousin, filed a complaint in the country asking for the removal of Hochman from the case, citing his alleged prejudice against his brothers and claiming that he violated the law to protect the rights of victims.
Hochman had a “enemy, disrespectful and patronizing tone” at meetings with his family and created “an intimidating and intimidating atmosphere,” wrote Goodall.
In response to the request of the District Prosecutor to withdraw the request for re -satisfaction, lawyers for the Menendez brothers asked whether Hochman had reasonable reasons for this, whether he had an influence of “change in political winds.”
Without satisfying, the brothers would still have two other paths to freedom. They submitted to pardon the governor Gavin Newsom, who ordered the State Council for conditional release to examine whether the brothers are a risk to the audience if they were released. The management board of the conditional dismissal is to carry out the last auditions on June 13.
The brothers also submitted a petition to Habeas Corpus in May 2023. Adach to the court to grant them a new trial in the light of new evidence. Hochman's office also submitted an application against this petition.