The Menendez brothers had their sentences reduced. What’s next?

By JAIMIE DING Associated Press LOS ANGELES AP The shotgun murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in Los Angeles gripped the nation The killings of the entertainment executive and his wife in their wealthy Beverly Hills neighborhood were brutal Their son Lyle Menendez was the one who called with the brothers initially claiming the killing was Mafia-related or connected to their father s business dealings Lyle Menendez was attending Princeton University and his younger brother Erik Menendez was a tennis star FILE This combination of two booking photos provided by the California Department of Corrections shows Erik Menendez left and Lyle Menendez California Dept of Corrections via AP File The brothers were later arrested charged and convicted for their parents deaths The brothers have argued that they committed the crimes in self-defense after years of abuse by their father On Tuesday the brothers were granted their first chance at freedom in decades A Los Angeles judge reduced the brothers sentences from life in prison without parole to years to life making them straightaway eligible for parole Attorney Mark Geragos center representing Erik and Lyle Menendez gets a hug as leaves the courthouse after the brothers resentencing hearing Tuesday May in Los Angeles AP Photo Damian Dovarganes Here s what to know Why is the occurrence famous Coming on the heels of the O J Simpson trial the nation was hungry for true crime TV The brothers first trial was one of the first to be almost entirely televised on Court TV It spawned documentaries television specials and dramatizations The Netflix drama Monsters Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the documentary The Menendez Brothers disclosed in the fall of have been credited for bringing new attention to the matter What happened at resentencing The brothers lawyers turned to family members and those who knew the brothers since their conviction to speak to their character and rehabilitation in prison in front of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic The Menendez family have supported the brothers and called for their release since their resentencing effort began last fall Prosecutors who have opposed the brothers resentencing did not call any viewers They ve argued the brothers haven t taken full responsibility for their crimes Erik and Lyle Menendez appeared virtually to read their statements to the court You did not deserve what I did to you but you inspire me to do better Erik Menendez revealed addressing his family Jesic issued his decision right now after the brothers spoke granting them a new sentence of years to life How soon could they go before the parole board The brothers are directly eligible for parole under California s youthful offender law because they committed the crime at ages and both under the age of Parole suitability hearings are conducted by a state board to determine if a person should be disclosed An inmate will be scheduled for their first hearing no later than six months following their eligibility date according to board initiative They already have a hearing before the board scheduled for June in a clemency petition they ve submitted to Gov Gavin Newsom It s not yet clear if that will serve as their formal parole hearing or if a separate one will be scheduled Newsom ordered the state parole board to conduct a comprehensive danger assessment for him to determine their danger to the populace if disclosed Anne Bremner a trial lawyer in Seattle disclosed the brothers will have specific pressure on them to prepare for the parole board and impress upon them that they should be let out My guess is the parole board has been watching this and of lesson they ve done these threat assessments already she reported They know who these two are what their alleged crimes were and what they ve done since the time that they were incarcerated until the present day What happens if parole is denied or granted If they are denied at their first parole hearing they will continue to receive subsequent hearings until they are granted release If parole is granted Newsom could still move to override the board If he lets the parole decision stand the brothers would be issued from prison What other avenues do they have for release In May the brothers attorneys also filed a petition for habeas corpus to the court asking for a new trial in light of new evidence of their sexual abuse LA prosecutors have filed a motion opposing that petition but its status is unclear Associated Press writer Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed