The Case Profile of the Menendez Brothers Trial
The Background of the Menendez Brothers Trial
On August 20th, 1989, the Menendez Brothers – Lyle and Erik – undertook the murder of their parents on the grounds of their Beverley Hills home in the State of California. Although the motives for the murders were called into question during the legal proceedings, the accounts of criminal intent varied greatly; the defense maintained that the Menendez Brothers murdered their parents as a result of withstanding years of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of their parents – the prosecution maintained that the Menendez Brothers had murdered their parents in order to receive monies from their parents’ life insurance policy.
Prior to the conviction of the Menendez Brothers, the Menendez Brothers denied any involvement with regard to the murders. Eventually, the brothers had received their parents’ life insurance premium and began a string of wild spending with little regard to their own finances. During a therapy session, Erik Menendez confessed to his psychiatrist that he and his brother had killed their parents; upon hearing this development, Lyle Menendez threatened the doctor to remain silent.
Although the ideology of Doctor-Patient Confidentiality – also known as the Hippocratic Oath – is a legal instrument, which ensures that a medical professional be unable to divulge testimony with regard to information learned in the midst of medical treatment or care. Although Erik Menendez divulged the murder of his parents to his psychiatrist – a medical professional – the notion of Doctor-Patient Confidentiality was breached upon Lyle Menendez threatening the doctor to remain silent about what he had learned.
The Case Profile of the Menendez Brothers Trial
The following is a case profile of the legal trial eponymously titled ‘The Menendez Brothers Trial’:
Date of the Trial: June 12th, 1995
Legal Classification: Criminal Law is the legal field that focuses on both the prosecution and defense of criminal activity conducted in both public, private, and electronic sectors – with regard to a Fraud charge, a criminal attorney can provide assistance in the preparation of a case upon review of the case details; with regard to Fraud charges, the intent, motive, and behavior implemented by the perpetrator is taken into consideration prior to sentencing
Accused Criminal Activity: The following criminal activity and charges were cited by a collective group of parents against Menendez Brothers within the appeal brought forth subsequent to the initial ruling:
The Menendez Brothers were accused of committing murder in the first degree, classified as the premeditated, purposeful, illegal, and deliberate execution of an individual or individuals
The Menendez Brothers were accused of life insurance fraud, classified as the attempt to collect on a life insurance policy as a result of spurious, illegal, and unlawful intention resulting from the murder of their parents in order to collect the life insurance premium belonging to them
Date of the Delivery of the Verdict: July 2nd, 1996
Legal Venue of the Menendez Brothers Trial: The State Court of California is Los Angeles County
Involved Parties: The following are the parties named with regard to their involvement in the Menendez Brothers trial:
Gil Garcetti – Los Angeles District Attorney; Plaintiff
Jose Menendez; Murder Victim
Kitty Menendez; Murder Victim
Erik Menendez; Defendant
Lyle Menendez; Defendant
Leslie Abramson; Defense Attorney
Verdict Delivered: The Menendez Brothers were found guilty of the murder of their parents and were both sentenced to life sentences without the chance(s) of parole. Subsequent to the trial, the Menendez Brothers appealed their verdict before the California Court of Appeals in 1998; the California Court of Appeals concurred with the finding of the initial verdict – furthermore, the United States Supreme Court did not accept the Menendez Brothers case for the further review.
