Menendez Brothers eligible for parole after judge approves resentencing

Menendez Brothers eligible for parole after judge approves resentencing.

Milkwaukee judge indicted for attempting to prevent ICE arrest.

Trump’s Middle East trip deepens economic ties while Gaza, Ukraine loom in background.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic has approved the resentencing of Erik Menendez, 54, and brother Lyle Menendez, 57, who have served 35 years in prison for the 1989 shotgun murder of their father Jose, a record executive, and their mother Kitty. The brothers were originally sentenced to serve life without parole. Jesic’s ruling means the brothers are now eligible for parole as part of a separate proceeding. The parole board will meet on June 13 and is expected to submit a recommendation for clemency to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Erik and Lyle alleged that their father Jose subjected them to years of sexual abuse as children before the brothers killed him and their mother. At the time, both brothers were young adults. A member of the boy band Menudo has also come out in recent years to claim that Jose Menendez sexually assaulted him when he was 14.

Police initially believed the murder was a gang-style hit, but the brothers soon drew attention to themselves by lavishly spending the money inherited from their parents.

Thanks to documentaries and a popular Netflix show documenting the brothers’ case, Lyle and Erik received a huge amount of public support for their release. In 2024, the then-LA County DA backed resentencing the brothers. The current DA withdrew the office’s backing for the resentencing effort. In a recent hearing, DA Nathan Hochman read excerpts from a comprehensive risk assessment (CRA) performed on the brothers as part of a separate clemency campaign by the brothers. The assessment found that the brothers were at “moderate” risk of committing violence again if released into the public.

However, members of their family spoke today and in previous hearings about their belief that the brothers have been rehabilitated. Jesic concluded the brothers did not pose an “unreasonable risk” to the public if released.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

Milkwaukee judge indicted for attempting to prevent ICE arrest

Last month, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by federal officers at her courthouse. Dugan was accused of attempting to aid an undocumented migrant to evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers outside her courtroom. According to multiple witnesses, Dugan showed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was appearing before her on a separate assault charge, to the jury entrance at the back of her courtroom rather than allowing him to use the public exit where ICE officers were waiting. The ICE agents caught up with Flores-Ruiz shortly thereafter after a foot chase.

Following Dugan’s arrest, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan from her judicial duties. Today, a federal grand jury indicted Dugan for concealing an individual to prevent an arrest and obstructing a US agency. Combined, the charges mean Dugan could face a maximum of six years in prison and a $350,000 fine. However, even if convicted, Dugan is unlikely to face the maximum penalty.

The grand jury heard from numerous witnesses, among them Dugan’s fellow officers of the court, including her own court clerk and another judge working in the same courthouse.

Dugan’s arrest sparked protests and shows of support both in Milwaukee and from people across the country opposed to President Trump’s deportation agenda. It also heightened tensions in Trump’s numerous showdowns with the judicial branch who have put up roadblocks to immigration actions taken by the administration.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

Trump’s Middle East trip deepens economic ties while Gaza, Ukraine loom in background

President Trump commenced his first major foreign trip of his second term, arriving today in Saudi Arabia. There he met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), with whom Trump and members of his family have enjoyed lucrative personal business ties. While in Riyadh, Trump announced a $600 billion Saudi investment in the US, including what he called the “largest defense sales agreement in history.” Trump also hinted that he may stop in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, where it is hoped that Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin will meet for their first face-to-face talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump held a private discussion with MBS, which likely covered not only Saudi-US business interests but also other regional matters, including ongoing US negotiations with Iran to re-establish a nuclear deal, as well as Israel’s ongoing military onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza. Iran and Gaza are also likely to figure in Trump’s subsequent visits to the Qatar, which has played a prominent mediating role.

Plane gate

Trump has been under fire for his announced intention to accept a $400 million Boeing 747, described as a “flying palace”, from the government of Qatar. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced he plans to hold up some of Trump’s Department of Justice nominees after the DOJ declared the lavish gift did not violate the “emoluments clause”, which bars the President from accepting gifts from foreign powers without Congressional approval.

Trump defended his decision to accept the plane saying it was a nice gesture from Qatar and “I could be a stupid person and say, oh no, we don’t want a free plane”. Trump also said that the plane will be gifted to the Department of Defense to serve as Air Force One and will then pass to his presidential library after he leaves office. However, refitting the plane to serve as Air Force One could cost as much as $1 billion and may not even be completed before Trump leaves office.

Analysts have said Qatar’s lavish gift shows that Qatar’s leadership has “learned its lesson” about doing business with the Trump White House, and the cost of not doing so. Before Trump’s first election in 2016, the family of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were seeking a bail out from the Qataris in a Manhattan real estate deal. This deal fell apart when Trump won the election. Then in the spring of 2017, Kushner and Trump backed the Saudis in a dispute with Qatar that resulted in a Saudi blockade of Qatar. Finally, in August 2018, the Qataris decided to bail out the Kushners after all.

Click here to see photos of the luxurious interior of the “flying palace” Qatar plans to gift Trump.