Can you watch the Erik and Lyle Menendez court hearing? What we know

Lyle and Erik Menendez will appear in the Van Nuys courthouse Monday for a critical status hearing to determine whether their Dec. 11 parole will continue or be delayed as incoming Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman reviews their case.

Nearly three decades ago, the court sentenced the pair to life without parole, and their lawyers – Mark Geragos and Cliff Gardner – are now asking Judge Michael Jesic to reduce their sentences.

The brothers will appear virtually from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, according to Lyle’s Facebook page, which is run by his wife, Rebecca Sneed.

Many family members will attend to show their support, and some may testify if the court allows it.

The status hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. PT / 1:30 p.m. ET.

Where can you watch the hearing?

It remains unclear whether the hearing will be live streamed, but Sneed said, “The judge will make his decision when he gets to work.”

She continued: “It is our understanding that cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom, however CA courts often live stream hearings. Sometimes this is done so that attorneys and parties can appear virtually; sometimes it is done so that the public can watch and sometimes it doesn’t get done at all.”

If the hearing is not live streamed, the associates Press will provide a live stream outside the courthouse.

With only 16 public seats in the courtroom, a lottery will determine who gets in, which will take place outside the Van Nuy courthouse shortly before the hearing.

The courthouse said so Newsweek: “There is no remote opportunity for the media or the public to observe proceedings. In addition, the court will not allow photography, filming, broadcasting or recording of this hearing.”

What did Lyle and Erik Menendez do?

Lyle and Erik fatally shot their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, 14 times as the couple watched television in the den of their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989.

The brothers shot José five times, including once at point blank range with a shotgun aimed at the back of the head. When Kitty tried to crawl away, Lyle shot her in the face. In total, she was shot nine times.

Lyle, then 21, and Erik, then 18, admitted to the shootings but said they feared their parents would kill them to prevent exposure of their father’s long-term sexual abuse of Erik.

When will Lyle and Erik go back to court?

On October 24, Gascón announced plans to recommend the Menendez brothers’ life sentences without the possibility of parole be replaced with a sentence of 50 years to life for murder. That’s what he said they would be eligible for parole immediately because of their age at the time of the crimes.

If the recommendation for recusal stands, the court has scheduled an arraignment for Erik and Lyle on Dec. 11 at the Van Nuys Courthouse, where the brothers were previously tried in 1993 and 1995.

However, Hochman takes office on 3 December.

“When I take office on December 3rd, I look forward to doing the hard work of thoroughly reviewing the facts and the law in the Menendez case, including reviewing the confidential prison records, the transcripts of the two trials and the voluminous exhibits. as speaking with the prosecutors, defense attorneys and the victim’s family members,” Hochman said in a statement.

Hochman continued, “This is the same type of rigorous analysis that I have done throughout my 34-year career in criminal justice as a prosecutor and defense attorney, and the same type of thorough review that I will give to all cases regardless of media attention.”

If Hochman does not change Gascón’s recommendation or request more time, the key question will be whether Judge Jesic approves the decision and the parole board agrees to release the brothers.

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