The lawyer representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's victims, who are also family members, is ripping the new District Attorney handling their case ... and calling the prosecutor a liar.
Attorney Bryan Freedman, who represents over 20 family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and took some shots at new L.A. County D.A. Nathan Hochman.
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Bryan is taking issue with Nathan's recent interview on CNN, where he claimed he was open to meeting with the family members and Freedman.
The lawyer representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's victims who are also family members says the handwriting is already on the wall with the new L.A. County District Attorney ... and the writing he saw reeks of bias against the bros.
Bryan Freedman wrote a scathing email, obtained by TMZ, to new D.A. Nathan Hochman, calling him out for meeting with only one Menendez family member ... the one who has gone on the record calling the 2 men cold-blooded killers and advocating that they rot in jail.
Freedman wrote, "Nathan, as I mentioned to you the day after the election ... I represent over 20 family members of Jose and Kitty Menendez ... There is concern however that your process of gathering information from the victims has been unfair."
Los Angeles County’s new District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, is wasting no time after being sworn into the high-profile gig -- he's kicking things off with a case that’s been on everyone's mind -- the Menendez Brothers.
Hochman chatted with TMZ outside the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A. Tuesday after he was sworn in by Arnold Schwarzenegger, making it clear that, despite the public's obsession with Erik and Lyle's case, he's not going to treat it any differently than others.
Hochman explained to us that while he's sticking to his no-special-treatment approach, he sees the public interest as a win. Why? Because it helps shine a spotlight on the bigger issues in criminal justice and reform.
Los Angeles County's new District Attorney Nathan Hochman was sworn in by Arnold SchwarzeneggerTuesday at the Hall of Justice in downtown L.A.
Hochman is replacing outgoing D.A. George Gascón, who Nathan says was way too soft on violent and repeat offenders during his 4-year term ... and apparently voters agreed.
It's fitting ... Hochman says he's going to terminate a lot of the policies he calls lenient that Gascón was known for ... like not prosecuting drug possession and trespassing offenses ... and he's turning to the "Terminator" star -- and former California governor -- to get his first day in office started.
The Menendez brothers are going to spend at least one more Thanksgiving behind bars ... and TMZ has the cranberry sauce on what their gobble-gobble day is going to look like.
A source in the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Lyle and Erik -- who've been in prison nearly 35 years for the double murder of their parents -- will feast on turkey slices, mashed potatoes, greens, and peach pie this Thanksgiving.
InTouch was the first to report on the Thanksgiving menu.
Erik and Lyle Menendez don't appear to be getting out of prison before the holidays ... because their upcoming resentencing hearing has been delayed.
The Menendez Brothers joined a status hearing Monday in Van Nuys from the San Diego area prison where they are serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. They tried to join by video, but encountered technical issues and had to listen in over the phone ... but never spoke.
Still, it was their first time in court in decades.
The Menendez Brothers are taking their first big step toward possibly getting out of prison ... and their family is feeling good about their chances ahead of Monday's hearing.
We caught up with Bryan Freedman, the attorney representing Erik and Lyle Menendez's family, this morning outside the Van Nuys Courthouse, where he expressed optimism regarding their case ... teasing "some developments" are likely to come through after the controversial siblings appear, by Zoom, in court.
Watch the video, Freedman made it clear he was "feeling good," confidently predicting "success" for Erik and Lyle in their bid for release.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has kicked the can down the road in the direction of the new L.A. County District Attorney ... regarding Erik and Lyle Menendez.
Newsom's office just released a statement ... "The Governor respects the role of the District Attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility. The Governor will defer to the D.A.-elect's review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions."
As we reported, the outgoing D.A., George Gascón, has supported resentencing Erik and Lyle and is in favor of their release. The newly-elected D.A., Nathan Hochman, has said he won't weigh in on how he wants to proceed until he fully reviews the case.
TMZ broke the story ... Erik and Lyle's lawyer, Mark Geragos, will ask the judge to change the conviction from murder to manslaughter. Since Erik and Lyle have served 3 times the maximum sentence for manslaughter, they would be immediately free men.
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TMZ.com
As for Newsom, it's unclear if he'll wait for the judge to make a decision before he weighs in on clemency, but given that the case has become a real hot potato, we're guessing Newsom's gonna wait until the gavel comes down.
Erik and Lyle Menendez and their legal team are making a full court press for freedom at next month's hearing ... and we've learned their star witnesses are people inside the prison.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Menendez Brothers lawyer, Mark Geragos, will call six key witnesses to the stand at their Dec. 11 resentencing hearing ... and they all work for the California Department of Corrections.
The witnesses are two correctional officers, one education officer, a prison guard, a correctional lieutenant and another employee from the Dept. of Corrections ... all of whom have crossed paths with Erik and Lyle during their three-plus decades behind bars.
Incoming Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says one of his first orders of business is tackling Erik and Lyle Melendez's bid for freedom ... and the clock's ticking.
TMZ.com
Hochman, who just defeated incumbent George Gascón at the ballot box, tells TMZ ... if the Menendez brothers' resentencing case lands on his desk on his first day as D.A., on December 2, he will hit the ground running, poring over documents and talking to all parties involved.
While Gascon has recommended resentencing, Hochman says he's got to review the case and the law before coming to a decision ... but time is of the essence because the resentencing hearing is set for Dec. 11 ... giving Hochman a little over a week to work with.
Los Angeles County D.A. George Gascón is setting the record straight, saying his push to recommend resentencing for the Menendez brothers isn’t about public buzz or winning an election -- it’s about doing what he personally believes is right.
On "TMZ Live," Harvey didn’t hold back on grilling Gascón about all the renewed public interest playing into the Menendez brothers’ case -- saying the considerations of their case are purely based on the evidence.
Gascón shot down the hype factor, telling us his decision came down to what he feels is right -- and not because of public opinion, or an effort to win votes.
Judge Mathis says Erik and Lyle Menendez deserve to be free men ... telling us new evidence they were allegedly molested by the father they killed totally changes things.
We got the TV judge Thursday at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, and our photog asked him about the Menendez brothers and their bid to get out of prison after nearly 35 years behind bars.
Judge Mathis says if he was handling their resentencing case, he would reduce the length of their punishment on account of the molestation claims and send them home ASAP.
The Menendez brothers are on a roll lately with a possible chance at future freedom -- and TMZ has the low-down on what could be their final Halloween in the slammer.
A source within the California Department of Corrections tells TMZ ... Erik and Lyle are all set for a Halloween movie night in the clink, where they’ll likely be cozying up to the OG 1990 version of Stephen King's "IT."
We're told the bros and their cell block buddies at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego are whipping up a classic prison treat for the occasion -- "candy salad," which is basically a mixed bag of every candy available in the commissary thrown into one giant bowl.
The Menendez brothers' childhood home isn't known as the "murder house" anymore ... with famed realtor Josh Flagg crediting Ryan Murphy's drama for the successful rebrand.
We caught up with the "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" star outside Craig's in West Hollywood Tuesday, where he shared his 2 cents on the infamous siblings' former abode ... and how its reputation has changed in recent months.
TMZ.com
As Josh put it ... he doesn't think it will be hard for the current sellers to offload the mansion for $25 million if they wanted to, given the renewed interest in the case, thanks to Ryan's Netflix series, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."
Huge development for Erik and Lyle Menendez ... the L.A. County D.A. is pushing for a path to freedom that could set the brothers free in a matter of weeks.
L.A. County D.A. George Gascón just said he "strongly" supports the Menendez brothers' request for clemency.
TMZ broke the story ... Erik and Lyle's lawyer, Mark Geragos, filed legal docs Tuesday with California Governor Gavin Newsom, asking him to grant clemency to his clients.
The former home of the Menendez brothers is going to attract a lot of peeps looking for some Halloween creeps -- but another house in Beverly Hills is expected to be a way bigger spooky draw ... as far as cops are concerned.
The house where Erik and Lyle Menendez brutally murdered their parents has been a hot destination for lookie-loos for the last several weeks thanks to wildly popular Netflix specials ... and police have been inundated with calls from angry neighbors.
Cops tell TMZ on the eve of Halloween they expect the affluent block to be a mess with a ton of foot and car traffic ... but they will be keeping a closer eye on The Witch's House, about a mile and a half away, where they assume far more people will visit -- increasing the odds of bonehead antics. Police will have a presence there all day into the night, we're told.
