LOS ANGELES — A hearing on whether to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers serving a life sentence for murdering their parents in 1989, has been moved to January.
A judge rescheduled the hearing date from December 11 to January 30 and 31 during a status conference Monday in Los Angeles. Relatives of the brothers appeared at the hearing and testified on their behalf.
The Menendez brothers also appeared at Monday's hearing via audio link from the Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa, but did not speak.
The hearing got underway at 10:30 a.m. and ended around noon. Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom and there was no live stream of the proceedings.
The court held a lottery for 16 public seats, but required all members of the public to put their cell phones inside plastic bags.
The Menendez brothers were convicted of shooting and killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in August 1989 at the family's Beverly Hills mansion.
Prosecutors say Erik and Lyle, who are now 53 and 56 years old, did it for money.
But, they say it was because of ongoing abuse.
Their attorney filed a habeas corpus petition 18 months ago after the discovery of a letter that Erik had written to a cousin before the murders, talking about sexual abuse by his father and fear of his father.
A former member of the 80's boy band Menudo also came forward recently alleging that Jose Menendez sexually abused him when Menendez was an executive at RCA records.
In October, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón filed a petition asking a judge to resentence the brothers, which could result in their release. Less than two weeks later, Gascón lost his reelection bid to challenger Nathan Hochman. Hochman is set to take office Dec. 2, and says he needs more time to review the case before issuing his own recommendation.
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