Ana Garcia is weighing in on the justice system.After Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, on Aug.20, 1989, the nation became engrossed in what came next.
After two trials, the brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life without parole.Now, those sentences have a shot at being reduced, meaning Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53, could be free men.Garcia sat down for a conversation with The Post and got candid on what the brother’s future might look like — and what’s standing in their way from freedom.“The District Attorney of Los Angeles [George Gascón] has said he is recommending to a judge and filing paperwork to have the sentence reduced to 50 years to life,” the Emmy award-winning journalist explained.“So what does that mean? That means there’s something in California called the youthful offender law.
And it means, if you are under the age of 26 at the time that the crime was committed, you will be eligible for parole.You have an opportunity to be paroled.”Lyle was 21, and Erik was 18 at the time of their parents’ murders.
“So if he can get the judge to change the sentence to 50 to life in prison, it kicks in eligibility for parole.And the district attorney saying he believes they should be released immediately, that they should be eligible for parole immediately,” Garcia elaborated.
“The question is what will the judge do? Because the judge could make a decision in real time and say, ‘Okay, I’m reducing the sentence and I’m recommending that they be paroled.'”The “True Crime News” host shared that the case would then go to the parole board.They would “have to have a full hearing,” continued Garcia.“And in California, you can have a hearing, which is basically have they been modeled citizens? Do they show that they have been rehabilitated? Do they show remorse? Would they be a threat to the community if they were released? And then there would be recommend...