California’s governor tonight revealed that the fate of the Menendez brothers will take a pivotal turn in the next 90 days — possibly towards freedom.
“On June 13, both Lyle and Eric Menendez independently will have their final hearing,” Gavin Newsom said late Tuesday in a shortened version of his recently-launched podcast in response the March 10 announcement by L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman in which he pulled his office’s support for a resentencing of the siblings.
Coming just over two weeks after Hochman rejected new trials for the brothers, who were sentenced to life without parole in 1996 for the brutal 1989 shotgun murder of their parents, Monday’s declaration by the D.A. that the Menendezs “do not meet the standards for rehabilitation” heated up the political hot potato this case has become in the Golden State the last six months.
Tonight, two weeks after Newsom ordered a parole board risk assessment of the Menendez cases, the lame duck governor picked up what Hochman put down, literally and figuratively, and ran with it.
“A report then will be submitted to me on the 13th of June for consideration,” Newsom said on his podcast of the now 50-ish brothers, who have been behind bars for decades. “We will submit that report to the judge for the resentencing, and that will weigh into our independent analysis of whether or not to move forward with the clemency application to support a commutation of this case.”
As it stands, even with Hochman’s anti-resentencing decision, a much delayed hearing is still on the court calendar for March 20-21 in front of L.A. Superior Court Michael Jesic.
How much weight that hearing will carry even if it occurs at this point is debatable. If Judge Jesic was to rule in favor of resentencing, it would go to the parole board who would then issue a report to the governor. Most of that process is already in motion with Newsom’s risk assessment order of February 26 and now the June 13 date he laid down late Tuesday.
To that, while denying ever watching a full episode of Ryan Murphy and Netflix’s hit Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story series, Newsom deftly offered both a slight compliment and a swipe at Hochman Tuesday “So, this was a very significant announcement from the D.A. this week, but it doesn’t fundamentally change the facts as it relates to the independent investigation in my office, the Board of Parole hearings, or fundamentally change or alter the process that’s underway with the resentencing,” the two-term Democrat said of the former Republican who many believe is eyeing the Governor’s mansion in Sacramento.
Hochman, it should be stressed, told Deadline in a December sit-down that “I absolutely tell you I am not running for that job.”
In the blood feuds and celebrity connections that often make up L.A. politics, Hochman’s immediate predecessor George Gascón suddenly jumped on the Menendez bandwagon in the dying days of his unsuccessful reelection campaign last fall. The ex-two-term San Francisco D.A. said he was backing a resentencing of the brothers. The media savvy Gascón additionally put his support behind a clemency petition sent to Newsom in late 2024. Not long after Hochman’s big win over Gascón, Newsom asserted that he would put any clemency movies on hold until the new D.A. got a chance to get his head around the case.
While making no secret of his disdain for Gascón, Hochman has also made no secret both on February 21 and on March 10 of a desire for Newsom to take the high-profile Menendez burden off his shoulders. Over and over last month, the DA spoke of the “absolutely unilateral full power, Constitutional power” the Governor possesses to commute the brothers’ individual sentences.
With the Menendez ball almost solidly in Newsom’s court now, Hochman found himself accused by a member of the siblings’ family of treating them with “dismissive, aggressive, and shaming behavior” during face-to-face meetings.
“Instead of responding with compassion, acknowledgment, or support, DA Hochman proceeded to verbally and emotionally re-traumatize the family by shaming us for allegedly not listening to his public press briefings,” Menendez cousin Tamara Goodell said of Hochman and his alleged “outrageous and abusive behavior” at early January meetings with members of the family who want the brothers’ freed. “His hostile, dismissive, and patronizing tone created an intimidating and bullying atmosphere, leaving us, the victims, more distressed and feeling humiliated,” Goodell went on to say in the missive to the U.S. Attorney’s office claiming the DA violated her rights under Marsy’s Law, the state’s bill of rights for victims by his conduct.
Goodell says she thinks it might be better if Hochman is removed from the Menendez matter and the likes of California Attorney General Rob Bonta take over.
“The original submissions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the LADA’s office were submitted on March 8th, 2025 at 2:16 p.m.,” Goodell also said to Deadline today. “As of 5:20pm on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, there has been no response via phone or email,” she added. As the victims’ family, I hoped to see D.A. Hochman act with impartiality, instead my family and I have been met with hostility and unprofessional behavior at every turn. We don’t understand why, but we do hope that that the Inspector General and US Attorney’s Office are paying attention and ensure the DA starts behaving in a manner that is befitting of his position.”
Deadline reached out to the L.A. County District Attorney’s office on Tuesday about Goodell’s concerns. There was been no response. If they do reply, this post will be updated.