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Menendez Brothers Case: Family Demands DA Office Recusal After Graphic Photo Display
The family of Erik and Lyle Menendez is advocating for the removal of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from the brothers’ legal proceedings. This request follows the display of a disturbing photograph during a recent court hearing, which the family asserts contributed to the hospitalization of the brothers’ aunt.
Family Alleges “Reckless” Photo Display Triggered Medical Emergency
In a statement issued Sunday by the Justice for Erik and Lyle Coalition, which identifies itself as “a family-led initiative supporting the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez,” the family urged the District Attorney’s Office to accept responsibility for what they described as a “disturbing and reckless decision.” They contend this decision during Friday’s hearing has had a profoundly negative effect on their family.
According to the statement, “In open court, and without prior notification, prosecutors presented an uncensored, graphic image of José Menendez’s deceased body. This action, they claim, re-traumatized family members present and resulted in the hospitalization of José’s 85-year-old sister, Terry Baralt, who is currently in critical condition.”
The precise cause of Baralt’s hospitalization was not immediately clarified.
Aunt’s Hospitalization Follows Courtroom Incident
“Terry, who is currently battling cancer, attended court to offer support to her family. No physical discomfort has ever prevented her from being there for her nephews,” the family statement emphasized. “However, the display orchestrated by the DA’s office pushed her beyond her limits. By early this morning, she was urgently transported to the hospital and remains in critical condition.”
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The family further asserted that the DA’s utilization of the photograph constituted an infringement of Marsy’s Law. This law, as outlined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, guarantees victims the entitlement to fairness, respect, and dignity.
The statement indicated that the family is initiating formal measures to disqualify the DA’s office from the case, though specific details were not disclosed. They further conveyed their belief that the office is “incapable of managing this process with the impartiality, attentiveness, or neutrality mandated by law.”
DA’s Office Issues Response and Apology
In a released statement, the District Attorney’s Office stated that prosecutors did not intend to “inflict distress or suffering” on individuals present at the hearing.
The office elaborated that it has previously detailed the brothers’ actions in public records. They noted that objections have not been raised regarding verbal descriptions of their conduct, nor were objections voiced when crime scene images were featured in a recent Netflix documentary.
“To the extent that the visual depiction of this conduct disturbed any Menendez family members present in court, we express our regret for not providing advance notice that the conduct would be described in detail not only verbally but also through a crime scene photograph,” the DA’s office conveyed.
Resentencing Hearing and Legal Proceedings
Friday’s court proceeding in Southern California concerned the brothers’ efforts towards resentencing.
During the hearing, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic authorized a legal procedure to assess whether the brothers should be resentenced for the 1989 Beverly Hills murders of their parents.
Judge Jesic rejected a motion from District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office. This motion sought to retract former District Attorney George Gascón’s recommendation to reduce the Menendezes’ prison sentences from life imprisonment without parole to a sentence of 50 years to life.
Should Judge Jesic approve Gascón’s recommendation, the brothers, who have already served 35 years for the killings of José and Kitty Menendez, could become immediately eligible for parole.
Aunt’s Support and Concerns Voiced Prior to Incident
Prior to the Friday hearing, Baralt publicly spoke out on Thursday for the first time in several decades. In an interview with ABC News, she expressed that Erik and Lyle Menendez “are like the boys that I didn’t have.”
“It’s time — 35 years is an extensive period,” she stated. “It represents an entire branch of my family that has been erased. Both those who are deceased and those who are still enduring the consequences, who were children at the time.”
She mentioned that despite her efforts to visit as frequently as possible, her residence in New Jersey and the brothers’ imprisonment in San Diego create logistical challenges.
“When children are young and approach you, you resolve their problems. I am unable to assist them… There is nothing I can do — just visit them and weep upon my departure,” she confided to ABC News.
Baralt also conveyed her apprehension about not living long enough to witness her nephews’ release from incarceration.