LA district attorney recommends resentencing Menendez Brothers

From a google search.

"The question is not whether Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents. They admit that they did. Instead, the focus of the case has long been on why they did it. They say they killed out of fear and in self-defense after a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse suffered at the hands of their parents. Here's a look at the case."

They admit that they did it ! Then they they state the "why" There is no "why" that justifies cold blooded murder. And they bring up self defense , again, self defense from what ? The parents were sitting on the couch, watching TV. It was at best revenge . And once again , we do not have laws that support revenge .

Self defense implies a impending threat to ones life/safety , or the defense of a loved one under threat.

Do you really think that those two [two] young men , who look physically fit too me , together couldn't overpower their father ? If he ever tried it again ? He was a 50+ yr/old man that had a cushy sit-down job.

And if they thought what they did was justified , why did they @ first lie to the police ?
 

Olivia said:
A cousin of the brothers testified in court that he had been told about the sexual abuse when it was happening.
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Was the cousin’s mom or dad a brother to Jose? Did anyone in the cousin’s family think about approaching Jose or CP or even the police? I know they said they were threatened, but was it all true?
 

oldman said:
Was the cousin’s mom or dad a brother to Jose? Did anyone in the cousin’s family think about approaching Jose or CP or even the police? I know they said they were threatened, but was it all true?
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I really don't know. The defense attorneys likely got or tried to get that information. I don't remember. I watched the trial on television.
 
oldman said:
I think they were 18 and 21 when convicted. Why didn’t they leave home? Why didn’t they report the abuse? If any of their relatives were aware of what was going on why didn’t they step in?

There shouldn’t have been any fear of retaliation because once they had reported the abuse and their fear of retaliation, I think they may have been placed in safe houses. I don’t understand how the laws work, but I have heard that in these types of cases, the police will place the alleged victims in safe homes.

These two boys could have beat the heck out of their dad and that would have raised a lot of questions.

Did anyone stand up for Jose?
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@oldman: They couldn't have "beat the heck" out of their dad when they were six years old, which is when the abuse began.
 
rgp said:
First I've heard about the photos mom took, OK, should she have been shot to death for that ? Were they ******* shots ? , or naked baby shots ? I know many folks that are embarrassed by their naked baby shots mom took. Model prisoner does not mean innocent/not guilty.

Many here on SF have stated that they had parents that were A-holes ........ should they have all been shot dead ?

Don't get me wrong, I don't know what went on there . And no one else does .

But our system seems to have done it's job, and our fellow citizens [those selected for jury] did their job, being privy to evidence that AFAIK the general public was not. And this jury found them guilty , and the system in place decided punishment . I say let the system we use and the decision it made stand.
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@rgp Do you have any idea about how many innocent people sit in prison most of their lives? So don't preach that "our system seems to have done its job."
 
Marcy Sheiner said:
@oldman: They couldn't have "beat the heck" out of their dad when they were six years old, which is when the abuse began.
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They believed their father would have found them and had them killed. He had his reputation to protect. I doubt that he would have gotten away with it but that's not the point. The mother's fate is another story.
 
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Marcy Sheiner said:
@rgp Do you have any idea about how many innocent people sit in prison most of their lives? So don't preach that "our system seems to have done its job."
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Yes I do, and I am aware of the innocence program but ...... these two admitted they did it. Under their conviction, our system provides for a certain punishment , and that is what they should receive . Their punishment was deemed to be life without parole, and that is what they should serve.

It has nothing to do with innocent/guilty . Again, they were found guilty & admitted guilt. They belong to be right where they are.
 
rgp said:
Yes I do, and I am aware of the innocence program but ...... these two admitted they did it. Under their conviction, our system provides for a certain punishment , and that is what they should receive . Their punishment was deemed to be life without parole, and that is what they should serve.

It has nothing to do with innocent/guilty . Again, they were found guilty & admitted guilt. They belong to be right where they are.
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"It has nothing to do with innocent/guilty." There goes our criminal justice system.
 
People who haven't been se#ually abused over the course of years cannot fathom the horror story that it truly is. Count yourself lucky if you were lucky enough to not have suffered this kind of abuse.

I believe the brothers should be released. They more than did their time for performing an illegal act (but public service) in ridding the world of two evil people. Some people need killing. And these parents qualified.
 
hollydolly said:
absolutely... and the mitigating circumstances are huge in this case.....
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IMO, there are no mitigating circumstances when two adults admit to being guilty of charges assessed to them.

If there were a question of their guilt .... then indeed a closer look is warranted , but when by their own admission they are guilty ..... end of story.

If they would have been children, or of diminished mental capacity ? Then again a closer look warranted , but this was not the case , in their case.

At the point past facts presented, it is nothing more than making excuses. And there simply is no excuse for shooting someone point-blank, as they are sitting on a couch, watching TV.
 
StarSong said:
People who haven't been se#ually abused over the course of years cannot fathom the horror story that it truly is. Count yourself lucky if you were lucky enough to not have suffered this kind of abuse.

I believe the brothers should be released. They more than did their time for performing an illegal act (but public service) in ridding the world of two evil people. Some people need killing. And these parents qualified.
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If the story as they tell it is factual . It [the story] they [the brothers] didn't convince a jury of their peers. And the "victims" had no chance of arguing their side of the story, as they were dead. As such .........
 
rgp said:
If the story as they tell it is factual . It [the story] they [the brothers] didn't convince a jury of their peers. And the "victims" had no chance of arguing their side of the story, as they were dead. As such .........
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That last jury didn't hear all the facts of the case. No witnesses who testified to what they saw and knew of the family and how the boys were treated. So it wasn't a fair trial. Punish them yes, because they did kill their parents and admitted to it. But not for life because of the mitigating factors, i.e. extreme sexual abuse since they were children.
 
rgp said:
Yes I do, and I am aware of the innocence program but ...... these two admitted they did it. Under their conviction, our system provides for a certain punishment , and that is what they should receive . Their punishment was deemed to be life without parole, and that is what they should serve.

It has nothing to do with innocent/guilty . Again, they were found guilty & admitted guilt. They belong to be right where they are.
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Jurors are not supposed to be biased. When found out to be blatantly so, a verdict can be over turned'
 
Debrah N. said:
That last jury didn't hear all the facts of the case. No witnesses who testified to what they saw and knew of the family and how the boys were treated. So it wasn't a fair trial. Punish them yes, because they did kill their parents and admitted to it. But not for life because of the mitigating factors, i.e. extreme sexual abuse since they were children.
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How do you know this ? Were you there ?

Many times, many things are left out of trial, that's the judges call. That's grounds for appeal , apparently they lost that as well . They are where they belong.

Without evidence of what may or may not have happened , it's all just hearsay . Did these witnesses , witness physical abuse ? beatings ? sexual assault ? If so why did they not intervene ? They what made a mental note of it, yet allowed it to continue, then noted it after the arrest of the brothers ?

Who exactly are these witnesses ? and what did they testify to ?

If these witnesses , witnessed these so-called horrible things, why did they not take the brothers in, and contact the authorities ?

The brothers got a fair trial , under the system in place that we are all subject too . If you believe we need to change the system ? Then start that movement, but we [as a nation] cannot just throw out the one's we do not agree with.

And again, let's go back to [that] night. If the dad would have tried anything again, they were what 18 & 20 at the time, physically fit ..... they could have easily overpowered him.
 
Olivia said:
I didn't say they were biased. Read again.
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I never said that they were. But you poised the question that they might have been, I asked how they might have been.

So, if you are not saying they were ? Why did you even offer the possibility ?

As such, if they were not, and IMO they were not, then their verdict of guilty stands, and the judge's decision on punishment should be uncontested.
 
rgp said:
I never said that they were. But you poised the question that they might have been, I asked how they might have been.

So, if you are not saying they were ? Why did you even offer the possibility ?

As such, if they were not, and IMO they were not, then their verdict of guilty stands, and the judge's decision on punishment should be uncontested.
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I did not!
 
rgp said:
I never said that they were. But you poised the question that they might have been, I asked how they might have been.

So, if you are not saying they were ? Why did you even offer the possibility ?

As such, if they were not, and IMO they were not, then their verdict of guilty stands, and the judge's decision on punishment should be uncontested.
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Tell it to the judge.
 
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