The Menendez brothers could have their second appearances before the California Board of Parole in about five months. Lyle Menendez’s hearing is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 23, with Erik Menendez’s set for the following day, Feb. 24. The new dates are more than a year earlier than previous ly expected. Both men were denied parole at their first hearings before the parole board last year. The brothers, who were convicted of murder in 1996 following a high-profile trial, had been eligible to apply for parole suitability hearings in August 2028. Last week, their family expressed gratitude for the decision to move up the dates of the brothers’ parole hearings. The California Board of Parole granted the earlier dates under a provision of Proposition 9, a 2008 law that amended the state Constitution and was intended to provide certain rights to crime victims. The law includes provisions allowing a person’s next parole hearing to be moved up if there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole. In a statement issued last week, family members said they were encouraged by the board’s decision and highlighted some of the brothers’ service and accomplishments during their prison sentences. “We are incredibly proud of the men they have become and deeply grateful to the Parole Board for recognizing their efforts and allowing them to advance their parole hearing,” the family said in a Monday statement. Erik Menendez, 55, and Lyle Menendez, 58, were initially sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murders. The brothers have said the killings occurred after years of abuse, including alleged sexual abuse by their father. In May 2025, they were resentenced to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole consideration because they were younger than 26 when the crimes occurred. Both are serving their sentences at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. At the conclusion of their May 2025 hearings, both brothers received the same outcome: a three-year denial of parole, the shortest denial period allowed under California law. Under Proposition 9, also known as Marsy’s Law, parole denial periods can be set at 15, 10, seven, five or three years. Before the law took effect, people serving life sentences for murder with the possibility of parole could be denied parole for one to five years. The law allows for an earlier hearing date “if there is a change in circumstances or new information indicating the person may be suitable for parole.” Seeking an earlier hearing involves a petition process and review. The petition can be filed by an incarcerated person at any time after their first parole suitability hearing. The petition must explain why the hearing date should be moved up and is reviewed by a deputy parole commissioner. Marsy’s Law also gives the parole board discretion to advance a person’s parole hearing if circumstances change or new information becomes available. This “administrative review” process focuses on incarcerated people “who have a good possibility of being found suitable for parole.” Specifically, anyone who has been denied parole for three years and receives a low or moderate risk assessment may be reviewed one year after their hearing. Both Menendez brothers were assessed as presenting a moderate risk. ...read more read less