Monsters Fallout: D.A. Seeking to Reduce Menendez Brothers Sentencing

Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: menendez brothers, monsters, ryan murphy

Monsters Fallout: D.A. Seeking to Reduce Menendez Brothers Sentencing

Monsters Fallout: Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón announced that he is seeking to have the sentences of Lyle and Erik Menendez reduced.

Published Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:11:08 -0500
by Ray Flook
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A little more than a month after Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Cooper Koch-starring Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story hit Netflix screens, we have an update on the case – and it's a big one. Earlier today, Los Angeles D.A. George Gascón announced that he would seek a reduced sentence for the brothers – requesting the sentence be lowered from life without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. If approved, the Menendez brothers would be able to be immediately considered for a parole release. "I came to a place where I believe under the law resentencing is appropriate," he said, adding that he had given the decision careful consideration and noting that the brothers made efforts to rehabilitate themselves while in prison. "They have been in prison for nearly 35 years. I believe that they have paid their debt to society," Gascón added. With the brothers being aged 18 and 21 at the time of the killings and having spent 34 years in prison, the Menendez brothers would be immediately eligible for parole if the new sentencing if approved due to their status as "youth offenders."

While that is a major headline-grabber, there are still other steps to come. If a judge signs off on the recommendation, then the Menendez brothers would need to meet with the state Board of Parole for a hearing to determine if they've met the standards for being released. In addition, prosecutors within the Los Angeles D.A.'s office who aren't in agreement with the recommendation are given an opportunity to be heard in a hearing that would need to be scheduled within 30 days. In addition, members of the Menendez family would also have an opportunity to share their thoughts on the resentencing. Of course, there is also the possibility that the judge could deny the recommendation if they consider the Menendez brothers to be a risk to the community – though legal experts see that as a slim possibility considering what would be required to challenge successfully D.A. Gascón's request.

The second installment follows Lyle and Erik Menendez (Chavez, Koch), two brothers who fatally shot their parents (Bardem, Sevigny) in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. During their trials, the brothers cited years of abuse as the reason for murdering their parents. However, prosecutors argued that their motive was to get their hands on the family fortune – with both brothers eventually convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, here's the teaser that was released at the end of August, offering our first glimpse of the toxic family dynamic:

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story – A Look at Who's Who

Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny star as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, with newcomers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch portraying brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez. Nathan Lane joins the cast as investigative journalist Dominick Dunne, who covered the trials for Vanity Fair. Ari Graynor plays Leslie Abramson, one of the most prominent Los Angeles defense attorneys in the '80s and '90s who becomes lead counsel for Erik Menendez. Leslie Grossman plays Judalon Smyth, a former patient and mistress of Erik Menendez's therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, who found herself entangled in the Menendez case — and who ultimately played a key role in Lyle and Erik's arrests.

Dallas Roberts' Dr. Jerome Oziel is the self-protective and not-entirely-by-the-book therapist who Erik Menendez sees after the murder of his parents. Jason Butler Harner's Les Zoeller is the Beverly Hills PD detective in charge of the Menendez murders case. A to-the-point, logical man in search of the truth. Enrique Murciano's Carlos Baralt is an Americanized Cuban immigrant, professor, and lawyer. He's the uncle of Lyle and Erik, brother-in-law to Jose Menendez, and the executor of the Menendez will. In addition, the season stars Michael Gladis as Tim Rutten, Drew Powell as Detective Tom Linehan, Charlie Hall as Craig Cignarelli, Gil Ozeri as Dr. William Vicary, Jeff Perry as Peter Hoffman, Tessa Auberjonois as Dr. Laurel Oziel, Tanner Stine as Perry Berman, Larry Clarke as Brian Andersen, Jade Pettyjohn as Jamie Pisarcik, and Marlene Forte as Marta Cano.

Alexis Martin Woodall ("Dahmer," American Horror Story, Feud), Eric Kovtun ("Dahmer," The Watcher, Ratched), David McMillan ("Dahmer"), Louise Shore (Lessons in Chemistry, American Crime Story), and Carl Franklin ("Dahmer," Good Behavior) serve as executive producers alongside Murphy and Brennan.

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