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Newsom Orders Menendez Brothers Risk Review
Liberty Check
California Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the state parole board to carry out a full risk assessment of Erik and Lyle Menendez to determine if releasing them would endanger the public.
Newsom made this announcement via his podcast, emphasizing that experts in public safety and forensic psychology will conduct the review.
- The risk assessment is standard procedure but carries significant implications for the brothers’ potential release.
- The Los Angeles District Attorney, victims, and the courts will participate in the upcoming parole process.
- Newsom maintains that public safety and transparency are top priorities in evaluating clemency requests, reserving final authority over the case.
“The question for the board is a simple one — do Erik and Lyle Menendez, do they pose a current, what we call unreasonable risk to public safety,” Newsom stated.
The governor’s office pointed to the requirement under California law that parole consideration hinges on whether an inmate poses an unreasonable risk to public safety.
Recent legal maneuvering includes the DA challenging new evidence as insufficient for a trial, despite earlier claims of abuse raised in a decades-old letter.
The Menendez brothers’ family criticized the DA’s decision, saying, “He didn’t listen to us. We are profoundly disappointed by his remarks, in which he effectively tore up new evidence and discredited the trauma they experienced.”
The governor remains positioned to veto any parole release or grant clemency if he determines it aligns with public safety and the law.
Stay informed and demand elected officials respect due process and constitutional protections when exercising extraordinary powers.
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