The fate of the Menendez brothers is one step closer to a decision as the possibility of being released from prison could soon become a reality.
The judge will consider a request that George Gascon's claim that Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman's predecessor George Gascon had resented Eric and Lyle Menendez's res on the Friday before the res trial was held.
Friday's hearing will be set at 10am local time, where the siblings are expected to appear remotely.
Hochman announced Wednesday that his office had submitted a reply on the issue of res tinsing. The brother's lawyers argued that they should have been convicted. Not murder, but manslaughter, In that case they would have already been released from prison.
If the Menendez brothers admit to a “lie,” Los Angeles may reconsider their motion to release them: Report
The next Los Angeles County, Da Nate Hochman, says he has never seen the media about the Menendez brothers before he took office. (Getty Images)
Hochman's office said, “After a thorough and thorough review of more than tens of thousands of pages of trial transcripts, thousands of pages of prison records, and hundreds of hours of videotape trial testimony, his office is ready to move forward at a court initiation hearing of res proceedings to Menendez Brothers, but is requesting a district police officer's complaint to file accusations.
Joseph Menendez, whose middle name Lyle and his younger brother Eric Menendez have been in a California prison since 1996, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. My parents' murder in 1989.
Before losing his reelection bid in November, former district attorney George Gascon asked his brother to exist and resent parole in lieu of his current life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Hochmann is opposed to resentment, but said his office is ready to proceed with resententengenic hearing.
Brian Claypool, a California criminal defense lawyer who is not involved in the case, told Fox News Digital that no matter what comes out of Friday's hearing, the fate of the Menendez brothers will be up to the judge.
The founder of TMZ was “stumbling” by the Menendez brothers' changes ahead of the possibility of hearing resilience.
Lyle and Eric Menendez on the left are sitting with defense attorney Leslie Abramson at Beverly Hills City Court on November 26, 1990, during a hearing. (AP Photo/Nick UT)
“At the end of the day, I think the judge will grant Hochman's request to remove Gascon's moves to support responsiveness, but what we really need to have is “Claypool explained,” and “Claypool explained. Regardless of what Hochmon is asking for, it will ultimately be up to this judge.”
The older relatives of the two brothers had already provided testimony as a precaution at the November hearing. Uncle Milton Anderson, the sole relative to the brother's release, passed away last month at the age of 90.
In accordance with the court's ruling, the Res hearing is scheduled tentatively on April 17th and 18th. If that moves forward, prosecutors hope that the defense attorney will call Menendez's family some of them in support of res.
The hearing was postponed as recent wildfires have affected the parties' widespread preparations.
Los Angeles County-based Claypool believes resentment and hearing is more than anything else a “political tug of war” between Hochman and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The reason I say that is because Gavin Newsom has already requested that the California parole board do what he calls Menendez brothers' risk assessment a few weeks ago. Why is that important?
Hochman's office said: “Even though the defences claim this decision is political, such a debate has no merit.”
“This path to res has been offered to the Menendez brothers, but they have chosen to stubbornly hold back the bunkers of lies, deceit and denials that are over 30.”
“The basis for this request for withdrawal is that the previous DA allegations have been that the Menendez brothers have given them full insight and have been fully responsible for their crimes by lying about their self-defense claims over the past 30 years, that is, they are afraid that their mother and father will be leaving through their father's negative through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock through their father's flock. Point blanks blow up their mother's face and blow the shot into the edge of their knees to stage it as a mafia murder,” Hochman said.
“As a full investigation into the records reveals, Menendez's brothers have never been clean over the past 30 years. They lie about self-defense and potential perjury, rape Lyle's girlfriend, mother violently, rape her mother violently, and try her mother.
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Hochman's office also told Fox News Digital that this had nothing to do with politics and “there is no political tug of war between the DA and the governor.”
“Politics was one of the major driving forces behind the timing of the district attorney's previous decision to file a responsive complaint in the Menendez case.
“The facts and law, not politics, encourage Da Hochman's request to withdraw that allegation, which was laid out in detail in the 85-page response filed on March 10, 2025. There is no political tug of war between the DA and the governor.
Hochman said it would be up to the court to consider whether “the lack of acceptance of liability for their murder” is sufficient to determine whether the Menendez brothers pose an unfair risk to the community.
“This path to res has been offered to the Menendez brothers, but they have chosen to stubbornly hold back the bunkers of lies, deception and denials that are over 30,” Hochman said.
The Menendez Brothers' Response: What will happen next?
Claypool said he believes Hochmann knows deeply about losing this fight because of “the public sentiment that flows in favor of Menendez's brothers getting a second chance.”
“Hochmann comes out and you have to be fiercely against this because it's his mantra. I think that's the message of his campaign, but I think he knows that it's not about winning or losing right now.
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Justice for Eric and Lyle Coalition, a family-led initiative advocating for the release of Eric and Lyle Menendez, said before the hearing Friday that “I am confident that legal standards, not politics, are convinced that the judge considers Da Hochman's demand for reversal.”
“Eric and Lyle apologised, held accountable, and gave no strong motivation for sincere regret, over and over again, other than growing, mature or rehabilitating,” said Tamara Goodell, cousin of Eric and Lyle Menendez. “They recognize the widespread impact their actions have had on us and their families. Since then, we have seen their relentless commitment to emotional growth.
Previously Hochman He told ABC News He would consider responsing “if they have sincerely and clearly admitted the entire scope of criminal conduct and all the lies they have spoken about it for the first time in over 30 years, they have sincerely admitted it clearly.”
The district attorney wrote in his allegations that he believed the Menendez brothers “repeated repeatedly about the case, their parents and their interactions with their witnesses.”
The brothers allegedly shot his father, former RCA record executive Josemenendez, in self-defense, and after warning that he was going to expose him as a child sex abuser, they thought he would kill him. They also killed their mother, Mary “Kitty” Menendez. Mary was sitting next to Jose in the living room in Beverly Hills, eating ice cream as she fired.
Look at Fox Nation: Brothers Menendez: Are they victims or villains?
This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Eric Menendez, left, Lyle Menendez. (Califia section correction section via AP, file)
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Their first trial ended with cheating when the ju judges failed to agree with their fate. After the second trial in the mid-1990s, when some of their evidence on alleged sexual abuse was ruled out, the ju judges agreed with the prosecutor that their motive was greedy.
If a judge decides to resent Menendez's brothers, it will then be up to the state's parole board to consider their release.
They are scheduled to appear before the board of directors on June 13th as part of a comprehensive risk assessment report ordered by Newsom, which is considering a request for sibling generosity.
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“Ultimately, the way this unfolds is likely to be granted parole from resentengentence or clemency, so beware of what you want,” Claypool said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to lawyers for Newsom's Office and Menendez Brothers for comment.
Michael Ruiz and Ashley Papa of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, murder, national crime cases, illegal immigration and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
