Laura Jarrett
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Already, I think we can get started.
Already, I think we can get started.
So it's Tony. He works at the waterfront.
So it's Tony. He works at the waterfront.
They are, and I think part of what's so fascinating about this case is that it obviously gripped everyone in the early 90s because it was really the first time a trial that had been so sensationalized was televised, right? And then it goes dormant for the better part of 30 years, and then there's sort of this resurgence because of a Netflix series called
They are, and I think part of what's so fascinating about this case is that it obviously gripped everyone in the early 90s because it was really the first time a trial that had been so sensationalized was televised, right? And then it goes dormant for the better part of 30 years, and then there's sort of this resurgence because of a Netflix series called
a Peacock documentary, a Max documentary, if I'm not mistaken, too. And so there's like this flurry of activity. And then the DA at the time decides, oh, I think I should support their resentencing. That was a huge moment. New DA comes to town, pulls that support, which was another big moment. And it's sort of all culminating now in this new path for freedom for them.
a Peacock documentary, a Max documentary, if I'm not mistaken, too. And so there's like this flurry of activity. And then the DA at the time decides, oh, I think I should support their resentencing. That was a huge moment. New DA comes to town, pulls that support, which was another big moment. And it's sort of all culminating now in this new path for freedom for them.
Yeah, because their claim fundamentally was not that they didn't do it. Everyone sort of quickly figured out that they did it, and so they had to come clean about that. But part of the explanation was that They endured, they say, years and years of violent, awful sexual abuse at the hands of Jose Menendez, their father.
Yeah, because their claim fundamentally was not that they didn't do it. Everyone sort of quickly figured out that they did it, and so they had to come clean about that. But part of the explanation was that They endured, they say, years and years of violent, awful sexual abuse at the hands of Jose Menendez, their father.
And they had a habeas petition, which, as you know, is trying to get a new trial based on the idea that they went through all of this abuse and so they should be less culpable. Not that they didn't do it, but that they should be less culpable. Yeah.
And they had a habeas petition, which, as you know, is trying to get a new trial based on the idea that they went through all of this abuse and so they should be less culpable. Not that they didn't do it, but that they should be less culpable. Yeah.
And the shame associated with it and sort of the campaign of silence around childhood sexual abuse, I think for boys in particular, has changed dramatically over the past 35 years.
And the shame associated with it and sort of the campaign of silence around childhood sexual abuse, I think for boys in particular, has changed dramatically over the past 35 years.
Yeah, that has sort of provided this springboard for them to take advantage of the law. And the law was there to say, look, people are going to commit crimes. when they're young. And at a certain point, we may decide they're rehabilitated. And it doesn't mean they're going to automatically going to get out. There's going to be a case by case analysis.
Yeah, that has sort of provided this springboard for them to take advantage of the law. And the law was there to say, look, people are going to commit crimes. when they're young. And at a certain point, we may decide they're rehabilitated. And it doesn't mean they're going to automatically going to get out. There's going to be a case by case analysis.
And there's hundreds of these petitions that have come forward. And and they're sort of just one of those cases that we happen to be focused on.
And there's hundreds of these petitions that have come forward. And and they're sort of just one of those cases that we happen to be focused on.
DA Nathan Hockman came into office and then completely withdrew support from the resentencing effort. He thought they had not owned up to their lies. And his sort of party line on this has been, we can't say for sure that their level of dangerousness is zero if they're not willing to fully come clean with all of the ways that they lied.
DA Nathan Hockman came into office and then completely withdrew support from the resentencing effort. He thought they had not owned up to their lies. And his sort of party line on this has been, we can't say for sure that their level of dangerousness is zero if they're not willing to fully come clean with all of the ways that they lied.