After beating out incumbent George Gascón in the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman will be the 44th person to assume the role when he takes office.
Among the many issues Hochman, 60, will inherit from the previous DA, none may be more high-profile than the Menendez brothers’ murder case.
Gascón announced in October that he supported resentencing the brothers — who were both given life sentences in 1995 — in what some saw as a strategic move to get his name in the news while he was losing in preliminary polls.
Others, including many Menendez family members, argue that the brothers have paid their dues for their crimes and are rehabilitated and ready to reintegrate into society.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with KTLA, Hochman outlined his plans for navigating the case.
“Here’s my approach, whether it’s the Menendez case or quite honestly any case: you have to do the hard work,” he told KTLA on Wednesday morning. “You have to look, in that case, at thousands of pages of confidential prison files, you have to review thousands of trial transcripts from months-long trials, and you have to speak to the prosecutors, law enforcement and the defense counsel … and the victims’ families.”
“Only then can you be in a position to determine whether resentencing is the remedy in this situation or whether what is asked for in the resentencing is the appropriate request,” Hochman continued. “I’m not in that position now, but I can tell you if I do have to make that call, I will do the hard work to make the right decision.”
The DA-elect will take office on Dec. 2, which is before the hearing to free the brothers.
Lauren Lewis contributed to this report.
After beating out incumbent George Gascón in the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney, Nathan Hochman will be the 44th person to assume the role when he takes office. Among the many issues Hochman, 60, will inherit from the previous DA, none may be more high-profile than the Menendez brothers’ murder case. Gascón announced […]