Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón supports clemency for Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are currently serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. Gascón’s statement comes shortly after recommending that the brothers be resentenced in their murder case. Attorneys for the Menendez brothers have submitted requests for clemency to Governor Gavin Newsom, which would allow for their immediate release if granted. Gascón’s resentencing recommendation could also make the brothers eligible for parole due to their ages at the time of the crime.
The Menendez brothers claim they were sexually abused by their father, which their defense attorneys argued during their trials. Despite most of the abuse claims being deemed inadmissible in court, the brothers have continued their education and worked on rehabilitation programs for other inmates. Gascón’s motion for resentencing and support for clemency are based on the brothers’ efforts towards rehabilitation and their ages, making them exemplary candidates for clemency according to their attorneys.
The Menendez brothers shot their parents with shotguns and were first tried in 1993, resulting in mistrials due to jury deadlock. They were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996, with prosecutors alleging that the motive was greed. The brothers’ case has garnered national media attention, and their future now rests on the decisions of Governor Newsom and a Superior Court judge.
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