Menendez Brothers’ Family Members File Complaint
Family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez filed a complaint and motion Tuesday over a bloody crime scene photo displayed during a presentation last week by prosecutors at a hearing on the brothers’ resentencing.
Background of the Case
An attorney representing the family members said in the court documents that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office needlessly showed the photo without any advance notice. The motion asks Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic to admonish the District Attorney’s Office for its conduct and to require the district attorney to provide family members with advance notice of exhibits or other evidence it intends to introduce moving forward.
Upcoming Resentencing Hearing
A potential resentencing hearing for the brothers, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion, is scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Van Nuys. The judge allowed the hearing to move forward after hearing from the prosecution and attorneys for the brothers last week, when prosecutors displayed the crime scene photo of Jose Menendez dead on a couch, covered in blood, on a screen inside the packed Van Nuys courtroom.
Reaction to the Display of the Crime Scene Photo
The motion filed by the Menendez brothers’ family said prosecutors "owe the victims’ family members an apology for their scandalous behavior." Assistant Head Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian, who argued that the brothers should remain behind bars, apologized in court after one of the brothers’ attorneys, Mark Geragos, objected to the display of the graphic photo "without warning."
District Attorney’s Office Response
The District Attorney’s Office could not be reached for immediate comment on the family members’ motion. In a statement issued Sunday, the DA’s office said, "We never intend to cause distress or pain to individuals who attend a court hearing. We understand the nature of the evidence of these heinous double murders was deeply emotional. However, by design these hearings are intended to be a place where the truth, no matter how painful, is brought to light. That truth starts with the abject brutality and premeditation of the murders themselves.
Resentencing Proceedings
Now that a judge has denied the LA County District Attorney’s request to stop the resentencing proceedings for Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers will get to make their case this week – that they’re deserving of a reduced sentence, and in all likelihood, release from prison. The DA still says he’s opposed to their release, and apologized for his deputy showing in court, without warning, a graphic crime scene photo that showed Jose and Kitty Menendez’s bodies after they were blasted with shotguns in the family’s living room in 1989.
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Conclusion
The resentencing hearing for the Menendez brothers is set to begin on Thursday, where the judge will hear arguments on the brothers’ suitability for resentencing. The brothers’ attorneys are hoping to have them re-sentenced to a lesser term, either allowing them to be released or become eligible for parole.
FAQs
- Q: What is the Menendez brothers’ case about?
A: The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, are serving life sentences for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents at the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. - Q: What is the purpose of the resentencing hearing?
A: The resentencing hearing is to determine whether the brothers are suitable for a reduced sentence, potentially allowing them to be released or become eligible for parole. - Q: Why did the family members file a complaint?
A: The family members filed a complaint because the District Attorney’s Office displayed a bloody crime scene photo without advance notice, causing them distress and pain. - Q: What is the District Attorney’s Office’s response to the complaint?
A: The District Attorney’s Office apologized for not giving prior warning that the crime scene photo would be displayed and acknowledged that the evidence was deeply emotional and painful.
