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Gavin Newsom Says No Menendez Brothers ‘Clemency Decision’ Will Be Made Before DA-Elect’s ‘Review and Analysis’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will not make “mercy decisions” on convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez until newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman completes his “review and analysis” of the case, the governor’s office said Monday in a statement.

While revenge for the brothers was supported by outgoing District Attorney George Gascón following new evidence of sexual abuse and the success of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix hit ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ and the accompanying documentary ‘The Menendez Brothers ‘, the newly elected Hochman has remained more conservative in his view of the matter.

“You really have to look beyond the Netflix documentary,” Hochman told Good Morning America on Thursday. “If you decide this case based solely on watching a Netflix documentary, you are doing a disservice to the Menendez brothers, to the victims’ family members, to the public.”

In response to continued calls and increasing petitions to convict the Menendez brothers, Governor Newsom said Monday that the recent vote has tasked Hochman with carrying out justice in the case.

“The Governor respects the District Attorney’s role in ensuring justice and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility,” said the statement from the Governor’s office, as obtained by TheWrap. “The Governor will defer the elected district attorney’s review and analysis of the Menendez case before making any clemency decisions.”

Gascón had previously sought revenge and even clemency for the Menendez Bros. recommended after the success of Netflix’s “Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story” and other similar docuseries. However, he was voted out of office in this month’s election, delaying his chance of release before Christmas.

Hochman told TheWrap in an interview earlier this month that he plans to become “thoroughly familiar with the relevant facts, evidence and law” before making a decision. Related hearings are scheduled for both later in November and in December.

Lyle and Erik, now 56 and 53 years old respectively, have been in prison since being found guilty of the 1989 double murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. Both were initially given life sentences without the possibility of parole in 1996.

The post Gavin Newsom Says No Menendez Brothers ‘Clemency Decision’ Will Be Made Before DA-Elect’s ‘Review and Analysis’ first appeared on TheWrap.

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