Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has rejected a recusal request from convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez in their resentencing case.
In response, Hochman blasted the request as a “drastic and desperate step.”
Hochman argues that the Menendez brothers are trying to force a recusal because they’re unhappy with the district attorney’s overall stance on resentencing.
In a statement, Hochman said:
“In the opposition, the District Attorney’s Office has argued that in a ‘drastic and desperate step,’ the defense has decided to ‘sidestep the central issue of resentencing’ and present an argument ‘devoid of merit’ to recuse the entire District Attorney’s Office
“The entire defense argument over recusal boils down to the defense not being happy with the current District Attorney’s position on resentencing.
“While this desperate argument may work in a press interview, it fails in a court of law based on an adversarial system of justice.”
Attorney Mark Geragos, who represents the Menendez brothers, wrote in an April 25 motion that Hochman should recuse himself because of a “conflict of interest.”
In that filing, Geragos wrote that Hochman “has a very different view” on resentencing.
“In the prosecution’s view, there was no sexual abuse at all.