Erik Menendez denied parole after decades in prison

After a hearing of almost 10 hours, Californian officials denied Erik Menendez Word Thursday after spending decades behind bars for having killed his parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in 1989.

The Power Liberation Group President said that he had to wait three years before her next parole hearing. The law of the State obliges the commission of parole to plan another hearing three, five, seven, 10 or 15 years in the future, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Menendez can ask the complete parole commission to examine the case for factual errors that could have caused a different result.

“Although we respect the decision, today’s results were, of course, disappointing and not what we hoped,” said the Menendez family in a statement. “But our belief in Erik remains unshakable, and we know that he will take the recommendation of the board of directors in the process. His remorse, his growth and his positive impact that he had on others will speak for themselves. We will continue to bear it and to hold the hope that he is able to come home soon.”

Menendez appeared practically from the correctional establishment of Richard J. Donovan to San Diego to affirm that he no longer constitutes a threat to public security, will not recite and will not take full responsibility for his crimes.

The parole panel has been responsible for determining whether an inmate currently presents an “unreasonable risk of danger to society” if it is released from prison, according to the CDCR.

The panel also allowed Menendez’s family to make statements, all of which supported their release.

“Two things can be true. They can love you and forgive you, and you can always be unsuitable for parole,” said the board of directors, Robert Barton about family support. “I believe in redemption, or I would not do this job. But on the basis of legal standards, we find that you continue to present an unreasonable risk for public security.”

Barton said the panel included the severity of the hearing and their subsequent decision.

“We have probably spent four times more than we do on our usual average here,” said Barton. “This is a tragic case. I agree that not only two, but four people were lost in this family.”

Barton cited the “prison behavior” of Menendez as the main reason for his denial of parole.

“Unlike the beliefs of your supporters, you have not been a model prisoner, and frankly, we see a little disturbing,” said Barton.

Barton said that he thought that the decision of the conditional liberation committee would have been different if Menendez had not violated penitentiary policies since 2013. After the refusal, the commissioner listed Menendez violations, including inappropriate behavior with visitors, smuggling drugs, improper use of computers, the use of mobile phone and incidents of violence in 1997 and 2011.

“We can present a risk for public security in many respects, with several types of criminal behavior, including those of which you were guilty in prison,” said Barton.

Barton said that the list of violations of Menendez’s CDCR rules has sometimes led to five years in other cases, rather than the three -year refusal that the panel has decided.

In addition to the violations of Menendez, the panel also discussed the brutal murders of Kitty and Jose Menendez.

Over the years, Erik and her brother Lyle Menendez claimed to have killed their parents in self -defense after having undergone years of alleged sexual, physical and emotional violence.

The Los Angeles County District Prosecutor Nathan Hochman was a Franc-speaking opponent of the possible release of the prison brothers, saying that they “never fully accepted the responsibility of the horrible murders of their parents” and lied about alleged abuses.

“This self -defense, defense is a total lie,” said Hochman. “They have perpetrated it for 35 years.”

He added that parole hearings must be based on facts and laws, rather than focusing on the recent series of documentaries and television series on the brothers.

Instead of rejecting alleged abuses, Barton expressed his empathy for the brothers and their assertions, but argued that they did not have to kill their parents. With hindsight, Barton suggested that the brothers could have left their parents, seek shelter with their loved ones or go to the police rather than killing them. The commissioner described the murder of Kitty Menendez as “devoid of human compassion”.

“I can’t put myself in your place,” said Barton. “I do not know that I have never raged at this level, but it is always worrying, especially since it seems that it was also the victim of domestic violence.”

Barton continued, saying that he and his colleagues “recognize and understand that many victims of sexual assault have trouble manifesting themselves, especially when the authors are family members”, but noted that the victims generally do not kill their attackers.

The commissioner put an end to the audience by exhorting Menendez to continue to rely on his support network.

“I hope the people who support you will continue to motivate you,” said Barton. “You have two options. One is to have a party of pity … and then you become a self-response prophecy, probably not be granted next time. Or you can take to heart what we have discussed.”

Lyle Menendez’s conditional liberation hearing is scheduled for Friday August 22.

“Tomorrow, we turn our attention to Lyle’s hearing,” his family said in a statement. “And even if it is undoubtedly difficult, we remain carefully optimistic and hope that the commissioner will see Lyle what so many others have: a man who has taken responsibility, transformed his life and is ready to go home.”