The Menendez brothers had their sentences reduced. What's next?

LOS ANGELES – The 1989 shotgun murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez successful Los Angeles gripped the nation.

The killings of the amusement enforcement and his woman successful their affluent Beverly Hills vicinity were brutal. Their lad Lyle Menendez was the 1 who called 911, with the brothers initially claiming the sidesplitting was Mafia-related oregon connected to their father’s concern dealings.

Lyle Menendez was attending Princeton University, and his younger member Erik Menendez was a tennis star.

The brothers were aboriginal arrested, charged and convicted for their parents’ deaths.

The brothers person argued that they committed the crimes successful self-defense aft years of maltreatment by their father.

On Tuesday, the brothers were granted their archetypal accidental astatine freedom successful decades. A Los Angeles justice reduced the brothers’ sentences from beingness successful situation without parole to 50 years to life, making them instantly eligible for parole.

Here’s what to know:

Why is the lawsuit famous?

Coming connected the heels of the O.J. Simpson trial, the federation was bare for existent transgression TV. The brothers’ archetypal proceedings was 1 of the archetypal to beryllium astir wholly televised connected Court TV. It spawned documentaries, tv specials and dramatizations.

The Netflix play “ Monsters: Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ” and the documentary “The Menendez Brothers,” released successful the autumn of 2024, person been credited for bringing caller attraction to the case.

What happened astatine resentencing?

The brothers’ lawyers turned to household members and those who knew the brothers since their condemnation to talk to their quality and rehabilitation successful situation successful beforehand of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic.

The Menendez household person supported the brothers and called for their merchandise since their resentencing effort began past fall.

Prosecutors, who person opposed the brothers’ resentencing, did not telephone immoderate witnesses. They’ve argued the brothers haven’t taken afloat work for their crimes.

Erik and Lyle Menendez appeared virtually to work their statements to the court.

“You did not merit what I did to you, but you animate maine to bash better,” Erik Menendez said, addressing his family.

Jesic issued his determination instantly aft the brothers spoke, granting them a caller condemnation of 50 years to life.

How soon could they spell earlier the parole board?

The brothers are instantly eligible for parole nether California’s youthful offender instrumentality due to the fact that they committed the transgression astatine ages 18 and 21, some nether the property of 26.

Parole suitability hearings are conducted by a authorities committee to find if a idiosyncratic should beryllium released. An inmate volition beryllium scheduled for their archetypal proceeding nary aboriginal than six months pursuing their eligibility date, according to committee policy.

They already person a proceeding earlier the committee scheduled for June 13 successful a clemency petition they’ve submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s not yet wide if that volition service arsenic their ceremonial parole proceeding oregon if a abstracted 1 volition beryllium scheduled.

Newsom ordered the authorities parole committee to behaviour a broad hazard appraisal for him to find their information to the nationalist if released.

Anne Bremner, a proceedings lawyer successful Seattle, said the brothers volition person immoderate unit connected them to hole for the parole committee and impressment upon them that they should beryllium fto out.

“My conjecture is the parole committee has been watching this and of people they’ve done these hazard assessments already,” she said. They cognize “who these 2 are, what their alleged crimes were and what they’ve done since the clip that they were incarcerated until today.”

What happens if parole is denied oregon granted?

If they are denied astatine their archetypal parole hearing, they volition proceed to person consequent hearings until they are granted release.

If parole is granted, Newsom could inactive determination to override the board. If helium lets the parole determination stand, the brothers would beryllium released from prison.

What different avenues bash they person for release?

In May 2023, the brothers’ attorneys besides filed a petition for habeas corpus to the court, asking for a caller proceedings successful airy of caller grounds of their intersexual abuse. LA prosecutors person filed a question opposing that petition, but its presumption is unclear.

___

Associated Press writer Hallie Golden successful Seattle contributed.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.