The New Los Angeles County District Attorney Could Spell Trouble for the Menendez Brothers
Nathan Hochman promised to "do the hard work to make the right decision."
Published Nov. 6 2024, 8:06 p.m. ET
George Gascón was one of the most progressive district attorneys in the United States. In December 2020 he was sworn in as the 43rd District Attorney for Los Angeles County, promising to build a "national model of criminal justice reform that supports and restores crime victims and survivors while addressing mass incarceration, racism, and social systemic inequities," per the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.
After advocating for victims' families and attempting to keep juveniles from being tried as adults, Gascón was criticized for his soft approach to crime. Leading up to his bid for re-election, Gascón announced he was recommending Erik and Lyle Menendez for resentencing.
Many accused him of using the Menendez brothers to further his career. In the end, it didn't matter as Gascón was defeated by Nathan Hochman in November 2024. What does this mean for the Menendez brothers? Here's what we know.
What are Nathan Hochman's plans for the Menendez brothers case?
One thing Hochman campaigned on was something he called the "hard work middle." While speaking with KTLA the day after he was elected, Hochman said this involves doing the hard work and looking at each case individually. When asked about the Menendez brothers, he essentially gave the same answer.
Hochman plans on going through thousands of trial transcripts, interviewing lawyers on both sides as well as law enforcement, and speaking with the victims' families. In other words, due diligence.
Electing a new district attorney rendered Gascón's recommendation null and void. Hochman is now determining if "resentencing is the appropriate remedy in this situation and whether or not what's being asked for in the resentencing is the appropriate request."
He went on to say that the case may not even land on his desk but if it does, he will "do the hard work to make the right decision."
The Menendez brothers have two scheduled hearings coming up. One is on November 25 and addresses a habeas corpus filing, which includes new evidence previously not available during their first two trials. The other, on December 11, is regarding the resentencing recommendation.
Hochman is expected to take office on December 2 which means he will have nine days to conduct this review. That's not a lot of time.
What have family members of the Menendez brothers said about the new district attorney?
Erik and Lyle's cousin, Anamaria Baralt, took to TikTok in order to provide some insight into how she's feeling. She believes her cousins' case has been used as some sort of "political football" during the district attorney elections.
"Hochman criticizing Gascón for even bringing it up, insinuating it was just a political effort ... I would hope that it was not." She hopes their case was reviewed because it was the right thing to do.
Baralt then switched gears and reminded everyone that this doesn't affect the Menendez brothers' plea for clemency, which was requested by their attorney in October 2024.
Lyle's wife Rebecca runs a Facebook page for him. Regarding the new district attorney, she posted that they could not comment at this time. There is nothing left to do now but wait.