New L.A. D.A. Nathan Hochman Discusses His Approach to Menendez Bros Case

TMZ

Los Angeles County’s new District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, is wasting no time after being sworn into the high-profile gig -- he's kicking things off with a case that’s been on everyone's mind -- the Menendez Brothers.

Transcript

00:00What's your thoughts on the Menendez brothers right now, where are you at with that?

00:06So, starting today I will get access to confidential prison files that number in the thousands

00:10of pages, trial transcripts from two months long trials.

00:14I'll get a chance now to meet with the prosecutors, law enforcement officers, the defense council,

00:20victim family members, and then we're going to look at what the different motions are

00:24that are currently pending.

00:25There's a habeas motion that's trying to get a new trial based on new evidence, and there's

00:29a resentencing request that basically says that from a combination of factors including

00:34rehabilitation, their sentence should be switched from life without the possibility of parole

00:39to life with the possibility of parole.

00:42We're going to take a very hard look at all of this.

00:44What about reducing demand slaughter, reducing the charge to manslaughter?

00:49We're going to look at all potential eventualities dealing with the Menendez case, but what I

00:53want to make crystal clear is two things.

00:55One, the Menendez case, though it's received high levels of media attention, will not get

01:01preferential treatment because it is on the media stage.

01:04This is the same type of analysis and thorough review of the facts of the law that I will

01:08give to every case, whether it gets media attention or not.

01:11And the second is I love the fact that the Menendez case has gotten media attention because

01:17what it has done is I'm hoping it's an entry point for people to get involved in the criminal

01:22justice system.

01:23And by that I mean you might have gotten sparked by a Netflix documentary or limited series,

01:28but if it gets you to look deeper into the facts of the Menendez case, read the trial

01:32transcripts yourself, read the court opinions, form your own opinions, and don't just stop

01:38with Menendez.

01:39There are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar type of cases in the system that aren't receiving

01:44this media scrutiny, but if the public takes interest in them, people will sit up and take

01:49notice.

01:50Do you have any new evidence that the brothers could have been molested?

01:53Will that change your perspective or view or allowing them to go free in any way?

01:57We're going to look at the totality of all the evidence.

02:00All the evidence presented, whether it's new evidence, old evidence, evidence presented

02:04during the trial, evidence that's been presented during the 30 plus years they've been in prison.

02:10We're going to look at all of that and then come down with a decision that we believe

02:13is the right decision and one we can defend in court.

02:16Do you think we'll get one on January 11th, 10th or 11th?

02:20January 30th.

02:2130th.

02:22I anticipate being able to go for it on January 30th.

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