New Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has a message for fans of Eric and Lyle Menendez. As their defeat hearing approaches on December 11th, please do not rush to judgment.
Hochman, 60, told The Daily Beast that many fans of the Menendez brothers' true-crime series don't fully understand the case.
The Menendez brothers, now 53 and 56, were convicted of murdering their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez with a shotgun in 1989 and are serving life sentences without parole at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. I am receiving it.
Hochman said the sudden interest in the Menendez brothers is likely due to a Netflix series and documentary about their crimes. He said he hasn't even seen the next prosecutor in order to stay focused.
“I didn't want to see them,” he said. “What do you mean? I'd rather read a book.”
Hochman acknowledged that he only remembers fragments of the incident from 30 years ago, but said that's why he will carefully dig into the facts. The Menendez case is a “top priority,” Hochman told The Daily Beast.
Hochman added, “Whenever a particular case receives this level of attention, it becomes even more important to get it right.”
Hochman, a Republican, decisively won the seat earlier this month with 61.46% of the vote, compared to 38.54% for Democratic incumbent George Gascon, according to data released by the Los Angeles County Registrar's Office.
He said he doesn't want to be swayed by celebrity endorsements such as celebrity Kim Kardashian or actor Cooper Koch, who played Erik Menendez in the Netflix series.
Before leaving office, Gascón asked a judge to reduce his brother's charges to manslaughter, a move some believe was intended to aid his re-election campaign.
Some superfans had also hoped that the brothers, who had filed a writ of habeas corpus last May and had a hearing scheduled for Nov. 26, would be released as soon as Thanksgiving Day, but they A reconsideration hearing is scheduled for December 11th. Extension from judge.
The Menendez family is calling for their brother's immediate release and to skip the parole process. But even if the judge agrees to resentence, parole could take a year. What's more, Gov. Gavin Newsom could block their release.
Another possibility is a pardon from Newsom. Regarding the incident, he said, “What matters is the facts. What matters is justice and fairness. Just because these people are famous doesn't mean they should be treated any worse, and it doesn't make them any better.”
The brothers admitted killing their parents, but claimed it was in self-defense after years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Prosecutors argued that the brothers killed him for money, which was not true.
Prosecutors at the time said he had spent $700,000 on items such as a Porsche and a Rolex watch in the weeks following the killing.
The jury agreed and sentenced him to life in prison without parole. The brothers were originally in separate prisons, but were reunited in San Diego in 2018.
Hochman will officially become Los Angeles County Attorney on December 2nd.
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