Menendez brothers' parole hearing rescheduled for late August
The Menendez brothers' final parole hearings have been rescheduled for late August, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
After winning their bid for resentencing last week, state officials converted Erik and Lyle Menendez's clemency proceedings on June 13 to parole consideration hearings. CDCR staff postponed the hearings to August 21 and 22 after receiving objections from the participants.
Anamaria Baralt, a cousin of the Menendez Brothers, said in a video posted to TikTok that the new schedule would allow them more time to prepare for the meetings.
"This is not a bad thing," she said. "This is actually a pretty good thing. They have time to prepare. Most people prepare for parole for a year."
Menendez brothers resentenced after 35 years
Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent more than three decades behind bars for killing their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989. After two trials, a Los Angeles County judge sentenced them to serve life in prison, without the possibility of parole.
However, last week, Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences to 50 years to life, allowing them the opportunity to go before a parole board and lobby for their freedom. Despite serving less than the minimum 50 years, California's youth offender law granted them eligibility, since they killed their parents before they turned 26 years old.
In 2018, California's Assembly Bill 1308 expanded the reach of the youth offender parole hearing to include inmates who were younger than 26 years old when they carried out their crimes.
The state created the specific program after reviewing scientific evidence that a person's brain does not fully mature until their mid-to-late 20s, according to CDCR.
In addition to the age requirement, an inmate could be barred from the proceeding if they were sentenced to death or life without the possibility of parole.
If eligible, an inmate can appear before a youth offender parole panel once they have served 15, 20 or 25 years in prison.
When they killed their parents in 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez were 18 and 21 years old, respectively.
While their initial sentence barred them from the program, their recent court win opened up a new path to freedom for the Menendez brothers.
What happens if the brothers are denied or granted parole?
If either of the Menendez brothers is denied parole during their independent hearings, they could lobby for their freedom again in future meetings with the board. However, it may take a few years before their next appointment.
If the panel denies an inmate parole, state law requires the board to schedule another hearing three, five, seven, 10 or 15 years in the future, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Last year, there were 8,001 parole hearings, according to CDCR. After those meetings, 33% of prisoners were denied compared to the 14% who were granted parole. Roughly 22% of inmates had their parole hearings either canceled, continued or postponed.
If Erik or Lyle is granted parole, the board and the governor will review the panel's decision. Ultimately, Newsom has the final decision to approve or deny the brothers' freedom.
