On Friday, April 11, a Los Angeles judge authorised a resentencing hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez, delivering a blow to prosecutors who have resisted any effort to lessen the brothers’ life sentences for the 1989 fatal shooting of their parents.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman attempted to halt the resentencing process, arguing that it could lead to the brothers becoming eligible for parole after serving more than 35 years. Despite this, Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic dismissed Hochman’s request to withdraw an earlier motion for resentencing, clearing the way for the hearing to proceed on April 17 and 18.
"Today is a good day. Justice won over politics," said the attorney, Mark Geragos, following the hearing.
The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in the family’s Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The case drew widespread national attention in the 1990s due to the brothers' privileged upbringing as sons of a successful music industry executive.
Interest in the case was recently renewed by a Netflix documentary series, which presented evidence bolstering the brothers' claims that they endured abuse from their parents. That development led Gascon to push for a lesser charge and consider the possibility of their release.
In the early stages of the investigation, the brothers denied involvement and staged the scene to look like an organized crime hit. They later admitted to the killings, explaining that they acted in fear after years of abuse. Their first trial ended in a hung jury, but a second trial resulted in convictions and life sentences without parole.
Over the years, some members of the Menendez family—including the sisters of Jose and Kitty—have expressed support for the brothers’ release. One notable exception was Kitty Menendez’s brother, Milton Anderson, a vocal opponent of their release who rejected the abuse claims; he passed away recently.
Separately, California Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the state parole board to assess whether the brothers would pose a risk to public safety if released, as he holds the power to commute their sentences.
Los Angeles County has reached a $4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of sexual abuse claims from foster care and juvenile detention facilities, in what could become the largest deal of its kind.
A wildfire in northern LA County, the Hughes Fire, has burned over 9,000 acres, forcing mass evacuations as firefighters battle the uncontained blaze spreading rapidly.
Wildfires devastate Los Angeles: Thousands displaced, 12,000+ structures damaged, and $250B+ in losses as officials work to restore safety and begin recovery.
Wildfires in Southern California have claimed 27 lives since January 7, leaving thousands of homes destroyed and causing widespread devastation. The Eaton Fire is now the deadliest in the region’s history, with recovery efforts underway.
Wildfires in Los Angeles have devastated entire neighborhoods, with thousands of structures damaged or destroyed. Over 6,700 buildings have been impacted by the Eaton Fire alone, while hotels provide shelter for evacuees. The crisis is also straining Southern California’s housing market.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
The Russian rouble surged past 81 to the U.S. dollar on Thursday, marking a 40% increase since the beginning of 2025.
In response to President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs, a number of global companies are eyeing expansion into the United States to minimize the economic fallout from the trade measures.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended Moscow’s support for the ongoing indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, offering to mediate or assist in any way that would be beneficial to Tehran and acceptable to Washington.
Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato strongly denied accusations that Japan manipulates its currency to weaken the yen, ahead of a highly anticipated meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week. Kato addressed the issue in the Japanese parliament on Friday, reaffirming that Jap
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni met with Donald Trump and JD Vance in Washington, using charm, shared views, and her native Italian to strengthen ties. She later hosted Vance in Rome, praised U.S.-Italy relations, and invited Trump to visit Europe.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
The Russian rouble surged past 81 to the U.S. dollar on Thursday, marking a 40% increase since the beginning of 2025.
In response to President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs, a number of global companies are eyeing expansion into the United States to minimize the economic fallout from the trade measures.
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