Judge in California rejects Menendez brothers' plea for retrial
In a recent decision, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan has denied a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers who have been serving time in prison for the 1989 murder of their parents. This ruling effectively shuts down another possible path to freedom for the Menendez brothers.
The judge's decision comes just weeks after the brothers were denied parole. The parole hearings for both brothers took place after their sentences were reduced in May. The Menendez brothers have been in prison for over three decades, having been sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for the fatal shootings of their father and mother in their Beverly Hills mansion on Aug. 20, 1989.
The new evidence presented in a May 2023 petition seeking a review of their convictions based on claims of sexual abuse by their father slightly corroborates these allegations. However, the judge's ruling states that the evidence is not compelling enough to produce reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or to support an imperfect self-defense instruction.
Commissioners determined that both Erik and Lyle Menendez's misbehavior in prison makes them a risk to public safety. Specifically, Erik Menendez was denied parole, while Lyle Menendez was denied parole for three years. Commissioners noted that Lyle Menendez still displayed "anti-social personality traits" in prison.
Defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father. However, the judge's ruling states that the evidence does not negate the fact that the Menendez brothers acted with premeditation and deliberation in the killings.
An email was sent to Mark Geragos, a lawyer for the brothers, seeking comment on the judge's ruling. As of now, no comment has been received.
The California Supreme Court previously declined to approve a retrial for the Menendez brothers. The brothers have been serving their sentences at the same prison in San Diego.
This latest ruling marks the closest the Menendez brothers have come to winning freedom since their convictions. The brothers will continue to serve their life sentences in prison.
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