Latest news with #MarkGeragos
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy's defense attorney challenges government's narrative in high-stakes federal trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs retained criminal defense attorney Teny Geragos as part of his legal team after his arrest in September. The criminal defense attorney, known just as much for her last name as she is for her work in the courtroom, first earned fans last year with social media clips about her rapper client. Teny also gained recognition for her opening remarks during Diddy's federal trial, where she argued that the case was about "voluntary adult choices," which the government was attempting to skew into a narrative to fit a sex trafficking charge. Teny, the daughter of criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos, graduated from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 2016. Her father is known for representing several high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Jussie Smollett, Colin Kaepernick and, most recently, the Menendez brothers in their pursuit of resentencing. She then worked with Brafman & Associates for eight years before becoming a founding partner of Agnifilo Intrater. She serves on the board of directors of the New York Criminal Bar Association and is certified to practice law in New York and California. Shortly after Diddy was arrested in New York after a human trafficking investigation, Teny claimed the media was pushing the wrong narrative about the "Last Night" rapper. "There's no minors, there's no celebrity sex tapes. The civil lawsuits here are not driving the allegations that we're defending against, but it is driving the vitriol against him in the media," Teny said on an episode of "2 Angry Men." "It's incredible here what I'm witnessing," she said of the public narrative about Diddy. "A lot of allegations that have no basis in reality whatsoever." During opening statements of Diddy's trial, which began on May 5, Teny asked the jury to consider the federal charges, not the choices of an at-times violent man. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case," Teny told the court. "This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships. This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case, a prostitution case and a sex trafficking case. It will not work." Teny told the jury that they would hear the "basics" through the lens of various witnesses and evidence. Most importantly, though, jurors would get the opportunity to "finally" hear the facts about the case. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships." "I say that because this case is not about what you've heard on the news, read in the news or have seen on social media for the past year and a half," Teny said. "This case is not about what civil attorneys looking for a payday are trying to make my client out to be. There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case for the past year, and it is time to cancel that noise and hear and see the evidence that will be presented in this courtroom." She noted that Diddy "has a bad temper" and at times gets "so angry or so jealous that he is out of control," but she emphasized that the "Victory" rapper was not charged with "being mean." "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise," Teny said. "And though there was violence that you are going to hear about, you already have, that violence is not part of any RICO. That violence is not connected to sex trafficking and that violence is not prostitution." During a recent episode of "2 Angry Men," Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos sat down with fellow high-profile lawyer Joe Tacopina to talk about the case. Tacopina has served as a personal attorney for President Donald Trump and most recently won a big court victory while representing rapper A$AP Rocky, who was found not guilty of criminal assault charges. "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise." "Your daughter, by the way, your daughter is a terrific lawyer – Teny – I'm very impressed," Tacopina told the men. "There's people who are or children of great lawyers who become lawyers, and you know it's not the same." "I'm sure we're reading each other's minds right now," Mark said. "That's why I take that as high praise for her, so I appreciate that." "She is, she's something else. I'm very impressed with her," Tacopina continued. "That opening was phenomenal. Opening summations and cross is my daily bread, it's what I love, it's what I studied, and what I really perfected it, and that was as good as I've seen." To wrap the episode, Mark revealed that his all-star daughter was pregnant with his second grandchild. "Four months yesterday, I think," Mark said. Levin joked, "The New York jury is like, 'Is everybody pregnant in this case?" Levin was likely referring to the prosecution's "star witness," Diddy's ex, Cassie Ventura, who recently gave birth to her child with husband Alex Fine. Ventura testified against the rapper last month. In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The trial is expected to wrap by July 4.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Menendez brothers clemency hearing in June converted to initial parole hearing, corrections officials say
The Menendez brothers' bid toward freedom seems to be getting expedited after a clemency hearing was converted into initial parole hearings, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says. The move to hold the initial parole hearings on June 13 comes days after Erik and Lyle were resentenced by Judge Michael Jesic to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. Despite serving less than the minimum 50 years, California's youth offender law granted them eligibility, since they killed their parents before they turned 26 years old. The Menendez brothers will have to go before the state parole board and argue their case that they no longer pose a threat to public safety, will not re-offend and take accountability for their crimes. The clemency hearing was scheduled after they submitted a petition to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who ordered the board to conduct a risk assessment report. The admissibility of the report garnered heated debate between the brothers' attorney Mark Geragos and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman during the resentencing proceedings. Prior to Jesic's ruling on Tuesday, the brothers were serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for killing their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989. They have spent more than three decades behind bars, claiming they killed their parents in self-defense after alleging years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Geragos and family members present in the courtroom celebrated and praised Jesic for this decision. "I'm hopeful and glad we're one huge step closer to bringing the boys home," Geragos said on Tuesday. Hochman has repeatedly stated his opposition to the brothers resentencing and on Wednesday told a group of reporters he disagreed with the judge's decision. "I believe that the Menendez brothers have started down the path of fully accepting responsibility for all their actions, but they stop short in their statements," Hochman said. "For instance, they've never said that the self-defense, defense, that they've said during trials, that they've said for the last 30 years, that it's absolutely false." If either of the Menendez brothers is denied parole during their independent hearings, they could lobby for their freedom again in future meetings with the board. However, it may take a few years before their next appointment. If the panel denies an inmate parole, state law requires the board to schedule another hearing three, five, seven, 10, or 15 years in the future, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If the brothers are approved for parole, Newsom could reject the board's recommendation. "On the basis of recommendation, I reject the parole board's recommendations often," Newsom said. In 2022, Newsom rejected two notable parole recommendations for assassin Sirhan Sirhan and former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten. CBS News Los Angeles reached out to the governor's office, which did not want to comment directly on the clemency investigation or hearings.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- The Guardian
Menendez brothers ‘huge step' closer to freedom as judge reduces sentences
After months of delays and decades behind bars, Erik and Lyle Menendez now have a long-awaited chance at freedom after a judge reduced their sentences for the 1989 killings of their parents. Their family and massive network of supporters celebrated Tuesday when Judge Michael Jesic resentenced the brothers from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life. The judge's decision means they are immediately eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law because of their young ages at the time of the murders. Soon they will appear before the parole board, which will decide whether or not they should be released. Their freedom is not guaranteed, but this week's developments bring them closer than they've ever been to leaving prison. 'They are a real family,' Mark Geragos, the brothers' lead attorney, said after the hearing. 'Real people who have lived through unimaginable horrors. And I'm hopeful and glad that we're one huge step closer to bringing the boys home.' Their release could at last bring a close to a case that has dominated headlines and captured public attention for nearly four decades. In 1989, Lyle, a 21-year-old student at Princeton, and Erik, an 18-year-old tennis star, attacked their parents with shotguns as they watched television and ate ice-cream in their Beverly Hills home. Jose, a prominent entertainment executive, was shot five times, while Kitty was shot nine times. The brothers initially said the killings were related to the mafia or their father's business, but eventually they confessed, and said that they had killed their parents in self-defense. They said they feared their parents were going to kill them to prevent them from speaking out about the long-term sexual abuse they experienced from their father. Prosecutors argued the brothers killed their parents in order to receive their multimillion-dollar inheritance. They were convicted of the murders in 1996 after two heavily covered trials – their first trial was one of the first to be almost entirely televised on Court TV. But in recent years the prevailing narrative around the brothers and their crimes began to shift – in part due to viral TikToks that focused on their allegations of abuse. Attention intensified in the last year and a half. First, letter written by Erik to his late cousin before the killings that corroborated his allegations of abuse surfaced after it was found among family belongings in 2018. Then, a former member of the band Menudo said he, too, was abused by Jose Menendez as a young teen in the 1980s. Erik and Lyle filed filed a habeas petition in 2023, which challenged their convictions as unconstitutional. But 2024 brought significantly more focus on the case – and movement. It was the subject of a documentary and Netflix series. Erik and Lyle received an outpouring support from criminal justice reform advocates, including Kim Kardashian. And George Gascón, the progressive former Los Angeles county district attorney, said he believed the brothers' accounts of abuse and that they had been rehabilitated. He recommended they be resentenced, opening the door to their release. The current district attorney, Nathan Hochman, who beat Gascón in the November election, quickly reversed course and sought twice to withdraw the resentencing petition. He argued the brothers had not taken full responsibility for their crimes and his office has said it does not believe they were abused. But the proceedings eventually moved ahead and after several delays due to the LA wildfires and disputes between the defense and prosecution, Erik and Lyle, now 54 and 57 respectively, were back in court on Tuesday where several family members and supporters spoke on their behalf. The brothers have the support of their entire family – with the exception of a recently deceased uncle – who have said they forgive the brothers and want them to be freed. Relatives spoke about the abused the brothers they faced, their accomplishments and prison and the desire to see them released. 'We all, on both sides of the family, believe that 35 years is enough,' she told the court. 'They are universally forgiven by the family.' Jonathan Colby, a retired judge, told the court that he considered himself tough on crime but he had got to know the brothers and was impressed with the programs they started in prison to provide aid and care for older and disabled prisoners. 'There's not many prisoners I meet like Erik and Lyle that have such concern for the elderly,' he said. Anerae Brown, who was once incarcerated with the brothers, cried as he testified about how they helped him heal and get on the path to rehabilitation, leading to his release from prison, and called the programs they started 'Menendez University'. Erik and Lyle attended the proceedings virtually and read statements to the court, acknowledging the impact of the crimes. 'You did not deserve what I did to you, but you inspire me to do better,' Erik Menendez said, addressing his family. Jesic issued his decision immediately after the brothers spoke, and granted them a new sentence of 50 years to life. Because they were under 26 at the time of the murders, they are immediately eligible for parole. Hochman, the LA district attorney, said his office's opposition to their resentencing 'ensured that the court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision'. 'The decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez was a monumental one that has significant implications for the families involved, the community, and the principles of justice,' District Attorney Hochman said. 'Our office's motions to withdraw the resentencing motion filed by the previous administration ensured that the court was presented with all the facts before making such a consequential decision.' The brothers are expected to appear before the parole board on 13 June for a clemency petition they submitted to the governor – though it's not yet clear if that will serve as their parole hearing or if additional proceedings will be scheduled. If parole is granted, and California's governor allows the decision to stand, they will be released. Legal analysts anticipated they will be granted parole. 'The brothers are very likely to be released within a matter of months. The parole board is going to be overwhelmed with voices in support of the brothers,' said Neama Rahmani, a former assistant US attorney and the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. 'Every living family member of Jose and Kitty Menendez supported their release, which is almost unheard of in a murder case like this one.' The Associated Press contributed
CBS News
14-05-2025
- CBS News
Menendez brothers eligible for parole after resentencing: "One huge step closer to bringing the boys home"
The Menendez brothers have been resentenced to 50 years to life in prison, opening them up for the possibility of parole after spending more than three decades behind bars for killing their parents decades ago. Prior to the judge's decision on Tuesday, Erik and Lyle Menendez were serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for the 1989 killings of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills home. The brothers have claimed that they acted in self-defense after years of alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of their parents. If approved, the case will go to the California Board of Parole Hearings before it is sent to the governor's office. Mark Geragos, the attorney representing the brothers, thanked Judge Michael Jesic for his decision. "I want to hat tip Judge Jesic, who was able to cancel out all the noise surrounding this, all of the grandstanding, all of the political back-and-forth, and he did what the code section said he should do, he did what justice said should happen, he struck the special circumstance and sentenced them to 50-to-life," he said. "The resentencing has happened." He called the decision one that "will reverberate in the criminal justice system." "It's a whole different world we live in now," Geragos said. "One of the things I think is important is to recognize that, like the legislature has done, we have evolved — this is not the 90s anymore." After 35 years behind bars, Erik and Lyle Menendez's relatives rejoiced after the judge's decision. "I am so happy that I wore waterproof mascara, as I am feeling. I've been crying all day long," cousin Annamaria Baralt said. "Mark Geragos and Cliff Gardner, thank you so much. You have brought hope to this family." The road to resentencing Erik and Lyle Menendez's appellate attorneys filed a resentencing petition in 2023, arguing that new evidence corroborated the brothers' abuse allegations and supported their bid for a reduced sentence, potentially leading to their release or parole consideration. "Two years ago, Cliff and I were talking about another case, and he mentioned the Menendez brothers," Geragos said, mentioning Cliff Gardner, the appellate attorney who first filed the resentencing petition in 2023. "We decided, let's do it. ... Now we see the pot at the end of the rainbow and their freedom." Before heading into court on Tuesday, Hochman reiterated the prosecution's stance that they do not believe the brothers should be released at all, just not yet. He alleged the Menendez brothers killed their parents in a "methodical way" similar to a "mafia hit." Last week, Judge Jesic was set to consider a recusal motion filed by appellate attorney Mark Geragos in April seeking to have Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and his office removed from the case. In court documents, Geragos argued that "a conflict of interest would render it likely that the defendants will receive neither a fair hearing nor fair treatment through all related proceedings." But Geragos withdrew the request before the hearing on Friday, saying he did not want any more delays in the resentencing process. On Friday, Hochman again attempted to withdraw former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's 2024 resentencing motion in support of Erik and Lyle Menendez, claiming a parole board's comprehensive risk assessment on the brothers should be included when considering their petition. Hochman argued that the brothers have not taken full responsibility for their crimes. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the risk assessment earlier this year as part of the Menendez brothers' request for clemency. Read more: Menendez brothers' family blames LA County DA Hochman after their aunt is hospitalized In court Friday, Hochman said the board "determined that each of the Menendez brothers constituted a moderate risk of violence, which was higher than the prior determinations of low risk of violence." He said the report cited specific actions by Erik and Lyle Menendez that supported the determination, including an incident in January in which Erik Menendez was allegedly found with a cell phone that was illegally brought into prison. Geragos argued that risk assessment should not be allowed in resentencing proceedings, saying the parole board does not allow psychologists to testify in hearings, including resentencing hearings. The state parole board is set to conduct separate hearings on June 13 for Erik and Lyle Menendez. The board will then send Newsom final reports to help the governor determine whether the brothers should receive clemency. The brothers appeared at the resentencing hearing virtually from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where they are both incarcerated. During a court recess, Geragos spoke to reporters, saying the Mendez brothers' family members are unified in their belief that they should be released. He also said the resentencing hearing is about redemption and not about relitigating the facts of the crime, like he accused the DA's office of doing. Geragos and his team are asking for the brothers to be released without a parole hearing by pushing for a recall of their initial sentence to a lesser one. "I'm hopeful and glad we're one huge step closer to bringing the boys home," Geragos said. What was the new evidence in the Menendez brothers' resentencing petition? The first witness to take the stand during Tuesday's resentencing hearing was the brothers' cousin, Baralt. She took the stand after Jesic explained the law for resentencing that says, unless there's a super strike, he has the presumption that the brothers will be resentenced. She said she has forgiven the brothers and believes they are different men from the boys who committed the crimes. She added that if they are free, she assumes the brothers would advocate for victims of sexual abuse and childhood trauma. Baralt was cross-examined by Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian for the prosecution. He asked her if they had ever admitted to any of the alleged lies they made during their initial trial, about making people falsely testify, and she said no, they have not discussed those details. Baralt has been a longtime advocate for the Menendez brothers' release, appearing at several demonstrations, including one outside of Hochman's office in March. Who testified at the Menendez brothers' resentencing hearing? Along with Baralt, two other cousins of the Menendez brothers, Tamara Goodell and Diane Hernandez, also offered testimony on Tuesday. Goodell provided information on some of the ventures the brothers have taken on while behind bars, including Lyle's Greenspace Project and Erik's work on providing hospice care to the aging inmate population. The fourth witness, former judge Jonathan Colby who described himself as tough on crime, said that the brothers helped him change his mind on inmate rehabilitation. He says that in the past he has never written a declaration nor has he testified for any other inmate, but after meeting them while doing outreach work with his dog Gracie, he hopes to help educate other judges. Anerae Brown, an ex-inmate sentenced to death row, also testified on Tuesday. He offered a look into his relationship with the brothers, who he says helped him earn parole after spending 26 years in prison. "As a life prisoner with 31-to-life, becoming a youthful offender, seeing the laws change and ultimately being free ... I can assure everyone here that the brothers will do a great job when they get to board," he said. Brown joined the brothers' family after the resentencing decision. "I'm very proud of them for continuing in this way to lead," Brown said. "The fact that they pursued so many different rehabilitative possibilities, that they instituted so many different programs and made it so far is going to produce a sort of hope in a hopeless environment."
BreakingNews.ie
14-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Menendez brothers are eligible for parole after judge reduces sentences
Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a new shot at freedom after 35 years behind bars for murdering their parents, a judge has ruled. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced the brothers' sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life. Advertisement They are now eligible for parole under California's youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26. The state parole board must still decide whether to release them from prison. 'I'm not saying they should be released, it's not for me to decide,' Mr Jesic said. 'I do believe they've done enough in the past 35 years that they should get that chance.' Advertisement Mark Geragos, who represents Erik and Lyle Menendez, speaks to the media during a break from the brothers' resentencing hearing (AP/Damian Dovarganes) The brothers did not show any apparent emotion during most of the testimony as they appeared via livestream video, but chuckled when one of their cousins, Diane Hernandez, told the court that Erik Menendez received A+ grades in all of his classes during his most recent semester in college. The judge said on Tuesday that prosecutors must prove that if released, the brothers still pose a risk of committing a violent crime again. They were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. The brothers were 18 and 21 at the time of the killings. Advertisement While defence lawyers argued the brothers acted out of self-defence after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers killed their parents for a multimillion-dollar inheritance.
