The district attorney for Los Angeles County, George Gascón, has announced his support for granting clemency to Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for killing their parents in 1989. The brothers have served 34 years in prison and have shown efforts towards rehabilitation during their time incarcerated. The brothers submitted requests for clemency to Governor Gavin Newsom, seeking immediate release. Despite the clemency requests, there is no comment from Newsom’s office regarding the possibility of granting clemency as the process is confidential.
Gascón had also recommended that the brothers be resentenced to 50 years to life, which could make them eligible for parole immediately due to their age at the time of the crime. Both brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, have claimed that they were sexually abused by their father, impacting their actions leading up to the murders. Their legal team argues that their efforts at self-rehabilitation, earning degrees, and helping other inmates in prison make them strong candidates for clemency. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996, after two trials where their claims of sexual abuse were largely deemed inadmissible in court. The upcoming hearing for their resentencing is scheduled for December 11.
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