On Saturday, May 10, 2025, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported that attorneys for Erik and Lyle Menendez withdrew their motion to remove Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman from the brothers’ resentencing case.
The decision came unexpectedly during a hearing in Los Angeles, where the brothers’ lead attorney, Mark Geragos, described the withdrawal as a strategic move. Previously, Geragos had argued strongly for Hochman’s removal, while Hochman countered, calling the effort a “drastic and desperate step” that is “devoid of merit.”
The hearing then addressed a second motion concerning the California Parole Board’s recent “Comprehensive Risk Assessment” of the Menendez brothers. Hochman, personally arguing the case, cited findings that Lyle Menendez exhibited a sense of entitlement and narcissistic traits and had violated prison rules. He also noted that Erik Menendez had been involved in drug sales and use, assisted another inmate with tax fraud, and possessed an illegal cellphone earlier in 2025.
The assessment rated both brothers as a moderate risk of violence, an increase from prior low-risk evaluations. Hochman urged the judge to cancel the resentencing request initiated by former District Attorney George Gascón in 2024, but the judge denied the motion.
Geragos stated after the hearing that the brothers are likely to be resentenced unless they commit a serious felony, referred to as a “super strike,” in the coming weeks. He emphasized that possessing a cellphone in prison does not qualify as such an offense.
Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted in 1996 for the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home. Sentenced to life without parole, the brothers, then 18 and 21, claimed they acted in self-defense due to years of sexual abuse by their father. Prosecutors argued the motive was to secure a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
Source: ABC7 Eyewitness News
