The resentencing hearing for the Menendez brothers has been postponed nearly two months due to the wildfires impacting Los Angeles County, the county’s lead prosecutor said Friday.
Erik and Lyle Menendez had been scheduled to appear in court in the resentencing case from Jan. 30-31 amid their bid for freedom after being sentenced to life in prison for the murders of their parents.
The hearing will now take place from March 20-21 “due to the impact of recent wildfires on the parties’ extensive preparations for the hearings,” LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office said in a statement.
Prosecutors and defense counsel met Friday with LA Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic to set a new date for the resentencing hearing, the office said.
In these booking photos taken Oct. 10, 2024, Erik and Lyle Menendez are shown.
CRDC
The postponement comes as Los Angeles County is battling two devastating wildfires, the Palisades and Eaton fires, that have destroyed thousands of structures. At least 27 people are believed to have died in the fires, which both ignited on Jan. 7.
The fires temporarily impacted the operation of multiple courthouses in Los Angeles County, though all 36 courthouses in the county remain open, according to the LA Superior Court.
Hochman said earlier this month that he has with the Menendez brothers’ relatives but is still reviewing the facts in the case and hasn’t yet decided if he’s in support of the brothers’ bid for freedom.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted in 1996 of the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, who they gunned down in the family’s Beverly Hills home.
The defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, but prosecutors alleged they killed for money.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were 21 and 18 at the time of the crime, respectively, were sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole.
ABC News’ Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
The Menendez brothers’ resentencing hearing, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, has been postponed due to the impact of the wildfires in Southern California. The brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents and have been serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. The hearing was set to reconsider their sentences in light of recent changes to California’s laws regarding juvenile offenders.
However, with the wildfires raging across the region and causing chaos and destruction, the court has decided to delay the hearing to a later date. The wildfires have forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and have disrupted normal court proceedings.
The new date for the Menendez brothers’ resentencing hearing has not yet been announced, but it is expected to take place once the situation with the wildfires has been brought under control. In the meantime, the brothers will remain in custody as they await their day in court. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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