The strange case under the U.S. judicial system has exposed that "personal relationships" outweigh "legal principles."
According to U.S. media reports, the Menendez brothers will begin applying for parole starting Thursday, marking their closest chance to gain freedom from prison since they were convicted nearly 30 years ago for murdering their parents.
Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for shooting their father Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. Although their defense lawyers argued that the brothers acted in self-defense after suffering years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors claimed that the brothers sought millions of dollars in inheritance.
After a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentence from life without parole to 50 years to life in May, they became eligible for parole. According to California law, they are immediately eligible because they were under 26 when they committed the crime.
But even if the board approves their parole, the brothers may need several months to gain freedom - if at all.
The parole hearing panel will conduct individual assessments of the brothers. Erik Menendez will have a hearing on Thursday morning, and Lyle Menendez will have his on Friday. They will appear via video conference from a prison in San Diego.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the committee will assess whether the brothers would pose an "unreasonable risk" to society if released, considering factors such as criminal history, motive, signs of remorse, behavior during incarceration, and future plans.
If the committee approves each brother's parole, the chief legal counsel has 120 days to review the case. Then Governor Gavin Newsom of the Democratic Party has 30 days to confirm or reject the parole. Newsom previously ordered the state parole committee to conduct a risk assessment for the brothers in response to the clemency request. He did not reveal whether he might support the parole, but he has previously rejected recommendations in high-profile cases - most notably Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert Kennedy in 1968.
Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez have received support from relatives, and it is expected that they will make statements at the hearing.
"For 35 years, they have shown consistent growth," their family said in a statement. "They have taken full responsibility. Until today, they still express sincere remorse for our family and have built meaningful lives defined by goals and service."
Last autumn, the former Los Angeles County district attorney first requested the judge to reduce the sentence, opening the possibility of freedom for the brothers. The judge eventually decided to re-sentence the brothers, despite the current prosecutor's opposition for months.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated before the parole hearing that he opposed the parole of the brothers, claiming they "did not show sufficient understanding of their crimes" and compared them to Sirhan. Newsom rejected his parole in January 2022 because of "lack of insight."
Michael Beckman, a lawyer specializing in parole hearings, said that insight means taking full responsibility for the crime and understanding the factors that led to your crime, such as anger, inability to cope with stress, and drug abuse.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841066962499584/
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