Prosecutor Seeks New Sentence, Parole for Menendez Brothers
The Facts
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday that Lyle and Erik Menendez — who have already served over three decades of their life sentence for the murder of their parents — will be resentenced by a judge.
Gascón is asking the court to resentence the brothers to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole, which, if a parole board granted their release, could lead to them walking out of prison within a matter of weeks.
The Spin
Narrative A
The media and public opinion completely swayed this case at the time. While prosecutors portrayed them as spoiled rich kids seeking their father's fortune, evidence surrounding their history of abuse was kept hidden from the jury. Criminal cases should be decided on the facts, and with this new evidence coming to light, the brothers should finally get the freedom they deserve.
Narrative B
While these allegations of sexual abuse are certainly plausible, it seems the media is yet again swaying the public. Companies like Netflix like to tug at our heartstrings in an attempt to make what's wrong seem right and what's right seem wrong, including, apparently, punishing your mother for your father's alleged crimes. A trial, not emotion-driven documentaries, should determine the brothers' fate.