How the Change of Los Angeles County’s District Attorney Will Impact the Menendez Brothers’ Case
Eric Menendez and Lyle Menendez’s fight for freedom has a new development.
Following Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s efforts to have the brothers resentenced for the 1989 killings of their parents, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the case will be sent back to the D.A.’s office. He explained that the decision to move forward on resentencing efforts will lie in the hands of Gascón’s successor, former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman, who was elected to take over as District Attorney starting on Dec. 2.
“The Governor respects the role of the District Attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility,” Newsom’s office said Nov. 18 in a statement obtained by NBC News. “The Governor will defer to the D.A.-elect’s review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions.”
Gascón expressed his support for the brothers’ petition for clemency at a press conference Oct. 24 before formally making the request in a pair of letters submitted to the governor’s office Oct. 30. However, he was defeated days later in his bid for re-election by Hochman—who has not taken an official stance on the matter.