April 11 Hearing Could Determine Whether Decades-Old Life Sentences Are Reconsidered
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced Monday that his office has formally filed a reply in the high-profile resentencing matter of Lyle and Erik Menendez, opposing efforts by the defense to block the District Attorney’s motion to withdraw a previously submitted resentencing request.
The hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Van Nuys Courthouse, where Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic will preside.
The judge is expected to rule Friday on whether prosecutors may withdraw their resentencing motion in the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, potentially changing the trajectory of the brothers’ decades-long prison sentences.
If the court grants the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office’s request to rescind its previous motion, the judge must determine whether to proceed independently with the resentencing process. Depending on Friday’s decision, hearings are tentatively set for April 17 and 18.
The matter has deepened tensions between prosecutors and the Menendez family, many of whom now support the brothers’ bid for resentencing. The only known family member to publicly oppose their release, Milton Andersen, the late brother of Kitty Menendez, is now deceased.
Tamara Goodall, a cousin of Lyle and Erik, has filed a formal complaint with the state seeking the removal of District Attorney Nathan Hochman from the case. In her complaint, Goodall accused Hochman of showing bias against the Menendez brothers and violating laws intended to protect the rights of victims and their families.
Goodall further alleged that Hochman displayed a “hostile, dismissive, and patronizing tone” during meetings and described the environment as “intimidating and bullying.”
Nathan Hochman’s office issued a statement that said, “Though the defense argues that this decision is political, such an argument is devoid of merit. This is about their continued refusal to accept responsibility for staging a brutal execution-style murder of their parents and then lying about it for decades.”
The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances in 1996 for the shotgun killings of José and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home. The case attracted national attention due to the gruesome details and the brothers’ claims of abuse.
