Los Angeles DA opposes resentencing

The Los Angeles District Attorney has announced his opposition to the resentencing of the notorious Menendez brothers, a move that could have paved the way for their freedom.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s decision marks a departure from his predecessor, who had sought to have the brothers resentenced and considered for parole. Both are serving life sentences.

Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents in 1989, have long maintained that the murders were driven by years of sexual and physical abuse, rather than financial gain.

Hochman argued that the brothers’ claims of self-defence was part of a litany of “lies.”

The resentencing hearing is set for 20 and 21 March in California.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Hochman outlined much of the criminal case, the defences the brothers had taken and the alleged lies he said they continued to stand by.

He said the brothers had not demonstrated true accountability, citing their continued insistence that the killings were an act of self-defence.

“They have not shown full insight into their crimes,” Hochman said, adding that their self-defence claim was “fabricated.”

Hochman’s predecessor, George Gascón, had pushed for a reduction in their sentences to 50 years to life. If that request was granted, the brothers would have become immediately eligible for parole.

Gascón, known for his progressive approach to criminal justice, had argued that the Menendez brothers had been rehabilitated after more than three decades behind bars.

Hochman accused Gascón of using the publicity of the case as a distraction for his failures in office. Gascón lost a re-election bid in November 2024.

The newly elected disrict attorney said his office’s stance on the case could change if the brothers “completely accept responsibility for their lies of self-defense and the attempted suborning of perjury they engaged in”.