Judge delays Menendez brothers resentencing hearing until March due to LA county fires

A California judge on Friday delayed the resentencing hearing for Erik and Lyle Menendez until March because of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles county, LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

The resentencing hearing was originally scheduled for the end of January, but will now take place on March 20 and March 21. 

The high-profile brothers were previously convicted for murdering their parents at their Beverly Hills home in 1989. But the pair argued that the shooting was committed out of fear that their parents planned to kill them in order to keep them quiet about how their father, Jose Menendez, allegedly sexually abused the younger brother, Erik Menendez, for years.

The resentencing hearing comes after some of the Menendez family members asked the courts to reconsider the sentence because of the alleged abuse, which they believe would have resulted in a less severe sentence, had it been known at the time. 

Hochman said earlier this month that he has met with relatives of the Menendez brothers but was still reviewing the facts of the case and had yet to decide whether he supported their plea for freedom, according to ABC News. 

The delay comes as firefighters in Los Angeles county continue to fight off two major fires, which threatened some court activity. But all 36 courthouses in the county remain open so far, according to the LA Superior Court.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.