Lyle and Erik Menendez may have a chance at freedom 35 years after the highly publicized events of August 20, 1989, when the brothers, then 21 and 18, fatally shot their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón filed a motion on Wednesday supporting the Menendez brothers’ request for clemency from Governor Gavin Newsom. In a statement, Gascón expressed, “I strongly support clemency for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. They have served 34 years and have continued their education while working to create programs that support the rehabilitation of fellow inmates.”
Here’s what clemency entails and what could happen next.
What Is Clemency?
Clemency is a legal power that allows a government official, typically a governor or the president, to reduce the severity of a punishment or grant relief from a criminal sentence. …