A judge decided on Tuesday that Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a new shot on freedom after they have spent 35 years behind bars for the murder of their parents.
The judge of the Supreme Court of Los Angeles, Michael Jesic, reduced the punishments of the brothers from life to 50 years without probation.
“I don’t say that they should be released, it is not to be decided for me,” said Jesic. “I think you have done enough in the past 35 years to get this chance.”
They are now entitled to probation according to the youthful criminal law of California because they were under 26 when they committed the crime. The state probation tender still has to decide whether it should be released from prison.
During most of the certificate, the brothers showed no obvious emotions that appeared via Livestream video.
“I killed my mother and father. I don’t make excuses and no justification,” said Lyle Menendez in a statement before the court. “The effects of my violent acts on my family … are unfathomable.”
Erik Menendez also spoke about taking responsibility for his actions and apologizing to his family. “You didn’t deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do it better,” he said.
“Redemption is possible”: Defender lawyer
The brothers were denied the bail in 1990 after they were arrested in 1989 for murder Jose Menendez and the mother Kitty Menendez in their house in Beverly Hills. Then they were convicted of first -degree murder in 1996 and then sentenced to life without the possibility of probation. At the time of the murders, Erik 18 and Lyle 21.
While defenders argued that the brothers had acted out of self -defense after years of their father’s sexual abuse, the prosecutors said that the brothers had killed their parents for an inheritance of several million dollars.
The case has attracted public attention for decades. Boards of the brothers have flown in from all over the country in rallies and hearings in the past few months.
“I only know that salvation is possible in one day as today,” said defender Mark Geragos. “The fact is that the Menendez brothers did remarkable work. Today is a great day after 35 years.”
“We have developed further,” said Geragos. “These are no longer the 90s. We have a more robust understanding for many things.”
The public prosecutor’s office of Los Angeles County argued against the reassessment. They said the brothers had not taken over the full responsibility for the crime. “You didn’t get clean” about your crimes, said Nathan Hochman, Prosecutor’s Prosecutor of Los Angeles.
Geragos emphasized that the purpose of the reassessment is to “promote rehabilitation”.
“This is the law,” said Geragos.
