Menendez Brothers' Lawyer Blasts New DA After Resentencing Announcement: 'Serially Abusing Them with His Lies'

Mar. 15, 2025

LyleandErik Menendez’s lawyer Mark Geragos did not hold back his criticism of newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

During a tense live interview on theTodayshow Tuesday, March 11, Geragos laid into Hochman after the DA said in a press conference on Monday, March 10, that he would not recommend resentencing for the Menendez brothers because they have, in his eyes, not accepted responsibility for fatally shooting their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in their $5 million Beverly Hills home in 1989.

Many Menendez family members disagree, Geragos said. He said that 22 members of the Menendez family met with the DAs office to advocate for the brothers' release and begged the office to, in Geragos' words, “stop re-traumatizing us.”

“We could tell at that meeting that [Hochman] had no interest in that,” Geragos claimed. “This really kind of points out one of the fallacies, if you will, of the DA office here. They’re not interested in victims.”

“There isn’t a single living victim who endorses this. In fact, every single victim… wants them out,” he continued. “This gentleman, this DA, re-traumatizes the family repeatedly. He’s almost serially abusing them with his lies and his litany of lies.”

Erik Menendez in January 2023; and Lyle Menendez in May 2023.CDCR/MEGA

CDCR/MEGA

One of Hochman’s alleged “lies,” Geragos toldToday’s Savannah Guthrie, was the assertion that the brothers' claim of self-defense was fabricated.

“He keeps saying they were claiming self-defense. They were not claiming self-defense. They were claiming what was called ‘imperfect self-defense,' " said Geragos. “The jury did not convict. … The first jury did not convict. That was a hung jury. Then the judge took away imperfect self-defense. He basically directed a verdict the second time around.”

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Lyle (left) and Erik Menendez sit in Beverly Hills Municipal Court in March 1990.AP Photo/Nick Ut

AP Photo/Nick Ut

On Monday, the DA said his office would only support the Menendez brothers resentencing if they denounce their self-defense argument and admit to 16 lies he claims they have told about what happened before and after they killed their parents.

But in Geragos' eyes, Hochman is just “showboating.”

“He knows for a fact that the brothers were cross examined for weeks in the first trial. Every single one of those things that he mentioned was either abandoned or was cross examined in the first trial,” Geragos said. “And guess what happened? Two juries, not one — one for Erik and one for Lyle — both juries voted against murder over the majority. … [Hochman is] just trotting out the same old things and he’s re-traumatizing [the victims].”

District Attorney Nathan Hochman.Damian Dovargane/AP

Damian Dovargane/AP

Anamaria Baralt is one of the Menendez family members who has spoken out against Hochman. During an appearance on NBC’sTop Story with Tom Llamason Monday night, Erik and Lyle’s cousin pushed back against the DA’s claims.

“They have apologized, they have shown remorse and they have taken full accountability to the public,' she said. “[Hochman] wants them to agree tohistruth — and nottheirtruth and notthetruth — in order for them to support his resentencing.”

Perhaps “most alarming, however,” the statement continued, was Hochman’s “not-so-veiled insistence they were not sexually abused. He instead sent a message to every young boy who’s the victim of abuse that they should not come forward or tell your truth. Because he’s demanding as much out of Erik and Lyle right now.”

Mark Geragos (right) in November 2024 before a status hearing on whether to reconsider the first-degree murder conviction of Lyle and Erik Menendez.CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Ultimately, the courts will have the final say in whether theMenendez brothersare resentenced, which could make them immediately eligible for parole. A resentencing hearing is scheduled to begin March 20.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com