Newsom Orders Risk Assessment for Menendez Brothers

California Governor Gavin Newsom has instructed the state parole board to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have been imprisoned for over three decades for the 1989 murders of their parents. This investigation aims to determine if the brothers pose an unreasonable risk to public safety should they be released, and their attorneys have expressed gratitude for the decision. The Menendez brothers maintain they acted in self-defense following years of abuse by their father and have since engaged in rehabilitation programs. They are pursuing clemency, resentencing, and a new trial based on alleged new evidence of abuse. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman opposes a new trial but will review the findings of the risk assessment before any clemency decision is made by Newsom.