Erik and Lyle Menendez will have to bite their nails a little longer before finding out whether they’ll get released from prison … because the parole board has kicked their hearing date down the road.
The Menendez brothers were slated to go before the California parole board on June 13 after a judge resentenced them earlier this month to 50 years to life for the infamous 1989 shotgun murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez.
After two trials, Erik and Lyle were finally convicted in 1996 and originally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
During the recent resentencing hearing in L.A. County Superior Court, Judge Michael Jesic said the brothers would not pose “an unreasonable risk” if released from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego, where they are currently incarcerated.
As a result of the judge’s ruling, California Governor Gavin Newsom scrapped his clemency board hearing scheduled for June 13, making room for the parole suitability hearing in its place.
TMZ.com
Newsom has been very much involved in the whole process. In February, Newsom asked the parole board to provide a clemency evaluation for Erik and Lyle partly to “help inform the judge in the resentencing.”
If the parole board recommends the brothers’ release, it’s then up to Newsom to put his stamp of approval on it, which would ultimately lead to their freedom. Whether that will happen is anyone’s guess. Keep your eyes on the calendar.
