Trump reacts to Dem senator’s meeting with deported alleged MS-13 gang member
President Donald Trump is calling Sen. Chris Van Hollen a “fool” on Friday after the legislator flew to El Salvador to meet with deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
“Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal immigrant living in Maryland, was deported to the El Salvadoran megaprison “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) last month, and officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although now some top Trump officials say he had been correctly removed and contend that he is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.
“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar,” Van Hollen, a Democrat, said in a post on X on Thursday. “Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.”
DEMOCRAT SENATOR VAN HOLLEN MEETS, SHAKES HANDS WITH ABREGO GARCIA
Van Hollen said earlier Thursday that “Kilmar Abrego Garcia had been illegally abducted and is being held in a notorious prison in El Salvador — barred from contacting his family or lawyers.” Van Hollen also spoke to the press in El Salvador, in a video posted on YouTube.
Abrego Garcia’s wife Jennifer Vasquez said in a statement that “we still have so many questions, hopes, and fears,” according to the Associated Press.
Both a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” Garcia’s release and return to the U.S. for proper deportation proceedings.
MORE DEMOCRATS WORK TO JOIN VAN HOLLEN IN EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ALLEGED GANG MEMBER’S RETURN TO US
The Trump administration also released information on Wednesday indicating that Abrego Garcia’s wife has accused him of repeated abuse of her.
Fox News obtained the written domestic violence allegations filed in court against Abrego Garcia by Vasquez in 2021.
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In the filing, written in her own handwriting, Vasquez alleged that Abrego Garcia had repeatedly beaten her, writing: “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”
School board president rushes girl to end speech while crying over trans athlete trauma
A school board meeting in California featured emotional debate over transgender athletes being allowed to share locker rooms with high-school girls. One girl who cried during a speech was told to “wrap it up” by the board president.
During the Lucia Mar Unified School District (LMUSD) board meeting on Wednesday, a high-school junior girls’ track athlete at Arroyo Grande High School named Celeste Diest took the podium to recount her experience of having to change in front of a biologically male trans athlete before practice, while that athlete allegedly watched her undress.
“I went into the women’s locker room to change for track practice where I saw, at the end of my row, a biological male watching not only myself, but the other young women undress. This experience was beyond traumatizing,” Diest said, as she began to choke up and cry.
CALIFORNIA GIRL OPENS UP ON FIGHTING LEGAL AND POLITICAL BATTLE OVER TRANS ATHLETES AFTER LIFE-CHANGING PAIN
“Adults like yourself make me and my peers feel like our own comfort was invalid, even though our privacy was and still is completely violated.”
Diest then fought through her tears to argue that the trans athlete’s XY chromosomes define the person as a male, adding, “That is basic biology.”
But Diest was then interrupted by LMUSD board president Colleen Martin.
“Okay, please wrap it up,” Martin said, gesturing to Diest to finish her point.
The teen then sniffled and continued speaking.
“I just want to ask ‘what about us?’ We can not sit around and allow our rights to be given up to cater to an individual that is a man, who watches women undress and is stripping away female opportunity that once was fought for us. Sadly we have to try and regain our rights back. I hope you put effort into the restoration of our school safety.”
Diest then walked away from the podium to a roaring applause from the audience before Martin tried to silence the cheers.
CALIFORNIA DEM COMPARES ‘SAVE GIRLS SPORTS’ LAW TO NAZI GERMANY, AS TWO TRANS ATHLETE BAN BILLS FAIL TO PASS
Martin even began slamming her gavel down to try and temper the growing applause, but the cheers only got louder after that.
“No!” Martin yelled when the cheers got louder.
Then, Martin just sat there silently as the applause continued for several more seconds, before it finally tempered, and the next speaker gave another speech opposing trans inclusion.
Prior to Diest’s speech, one of the other speakers, a woman named Shannon Kessler, who was scheduled to go after the teen, asked Martin whether she could give her speaking time to Diest. But Martin denied that request.
“We’re not doing that,” Martin said.
Several other parents gave speeches in opposition of trans athletes in attendance, while other community members spoke in support of trans inclusion.
California has been one of the many blue states in the nation to defy President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, and has allowed trans athletes to compete with girls for over a decade.
A law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014, and gives California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”
California Code of Regulations section 4910(k) defines gender as: “A person’s actual sex or perceived sex and includes a person’s perceived identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with a person’s sex at birth.”
CIF Bylaw 300.D. mirrors the Education Code, stating, “All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.”
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These laws and the subsequent enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state has resulted in multiple controversies over the issue over the last year alone.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” a CIF statement said.
The California state legislature’s Democrat majority rejected two bills that would have changed state law to ban trans athletes from girls’ sports on April 1.
Gene Hackman and wife’s cluttered, rodent-infested $4M home seen in police photos
Investigators released hundreds of images from inside and around Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Hackman’s Santa Fe estate as part of evidence released by New Mexico authorities.
Gene and Betsy’s bodies were discovered at home on Feb. 26 after neither had been heard from in weeks.
Officials documented more than 700 images of the Hackman home, in addition to a detailed incident report which included evidence of dead rodents, rodent feces and live traps throughout multiple buildings on the property.
INVESTIGATORS IN GENE HACKMAN’S DEATH RELEASE FOOTAGE FROM INSIDE HOME, WIFE BETSY’S ONLINE SEARCH HISTORY
Betsy, a classical pianist, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to authorities. Hantavirus is characterized by “flu-like symptoms consisting of fever, muscle aches, cough, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea that can progress to shortness of breath and cardiac or heart failure and lung failure,” Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell explained during a March news conference.
Hantavirus strains in the U.S. are not transmissible from person to person but rather from animals to humans.
Rodent feces were found in three detached garages, three sheds and two casitas. Live traps were listed as a rodent control technique and were being used in the outbuildings, an environmental assessment stated.
GENE HACKMAN’S ESTRANGED CHILDREN TRAVEL TO SANTA FE AS ACTOR, WIFE LAID TO REST IN PRIVATE FUNERAL SERVICE
Gene died from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributing factor.
Gene and Betsy’s bodies were found Feb. 26 by maintenance workers Jesse Kesler and Roland Lowe Begay. Kesler, who had worked as a personal contractor for the couple for 16 years, made a frantic 911 call.
In a search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, officials revealed that Arakawa’s body was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Hackman was also found to have the same signs of decomposition as his wife.
GENE HACKMAN DEATH: COMPLETE COVERAGE
Gene likely survived alone in the home for about a week until he died around Feb. 18, which was the last time activity was recorded on his pacemaker. Authorities assumed this was his last day alive as the Oscar winner’s body was not discovered for nine more days.
Detectives initially described the couple’s deaths as “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation,” according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital.
Officials confirmed that no external trauma was seen on either Gene or Betsy, and New Mexico authorities promptly launched a criminal investigation into their deaths.
In newly released video footage from the day authorities discovered Gene and Betsy’s bodies, body camera footage revealed one of the Hackman’s dogs protecting Betsy’s body.
Bear and Nikita, the late couple’s dogs, helped authorities find Gene and Betsy’s bodies when officials arrived at their home in New Mexico.
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Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya explained the department immediately located Betsy in a bathroom after entering the front door of the New Mexico home. However, officials searched for nearly 30 minutes with no sign of Hackman.
WATCH: AUTHORITIES SEARCH GENE HACKMAN, WIFE BETSY ARAKAWA HACKMAN’S HOME
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Through a search of Betsy’s computer, investigators discovered Betsy researched COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms multiple times before she died. Investigators recovered an email Betsy sent to her massage therapist on Feb. 11 in which she admitted Gene took a “covid test” after experiencing “flu/cold-like symptoms.”
Prior to her email, Betsy had researched “COVID” at least four times between Feb. 8-11 before pursuing medical attention at the Cloudberry Health center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, documents showed.
“This data suggests that Betsy was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to her death,” the report stated.
With the release of the records as ordered by the First Judicial District Court, Santa Fe County, sheriffs extended their appreciation to first responders and offered condolences to the Hackman family.
“Our statutory and fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers requires us to find compassionate and workable solutions that respect both public transparency requirements and a grieving family’s dignity,” Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said.
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Florida State shooting suspect’s background revealed as motive remains a mystery
More details are emerging Friday about Florida State University shooting suspect Phoenix Ikner as law enforcement are trying to piece together what motivated the 20-year-old student to allegedly open fire at his school, killing two and wounding six.
Ikner was shot and wounded by responding officers Thursday afternoon after he refused to comply with commands, according to Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. Police also said his mother is a sheriff’s deputy with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and that they believe Ikner shot the victims using his mother’s former service handgun, which she had kept for personal use after the force upgraded to new weapons.
Months before the shooting, Ikner was quoted in an FSU student newspaper article about anti-Trump protests at the school and was identified as a political science major, according to WFLA.
“These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons. I think it’s a little too late, he’s [Trump] already going to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 and there’s not really much you can do unless you outright revolt, and I don’t think anyone wants that,” Ikner was quoted by the station as saying.
FSU SHOOTER IDENTIFIED, USED SHERIFF DEPUTY MOM’S WEAPON IN KILLING: POLICE
The article was later updated to say “An earlier version of this article included a quote from the gunman in the April 17 shooting at FSU and was removed at the decision of our editors to maintain ethical journalistic standards and avoid amplifying the voice of an individual responsible for violence.”
Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil also said Ikner “has been steeped in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office family, engaged in a number of training programs that we have,” according to The Associated Press. “So it’s not a surprise to us that he had access to weapons.”
Ikner was a long-standing member of the sheriff’s office’s youth advisory council, he continued.
On its website, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said its Youth Advisory Council “provides Leon County’s young people with an active role in addressing youth issues.”
“It is the undertaking of the YAC to advise the Sheriff, reach out to Leon County teens, inform them of existing opportunities, and listen to suggestions on what the Sheriff’s Office can do to improve its youth-oriented efforts,” the website said, noting that the group is tasked with identifying and discussing “issues youth are facing … in our county.”
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SHOOTING SUSPECT: WHO IS PHOENIX IKNER?
Five people who were wounded in the mass shooting were struck by gunfire, while a sixth was hurt while trying to run away, Revell said in a statement Thursday night. Ikner was in the hospital with “serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Revell.
On Friday morning, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare said two patients are expected to be discharged later today, while “Three have improved and are in good condition” and “One remains in fair condition.”
Aidan Stickney, a 21-year-old studying business management, told the AP he was running late to class on Thursday when he said he saw a man get out of a car with a shotgun and aim at another man in a white polo shirt.
The gun jammed, Stickney said, and the shooter rushed back to his car and emerged with a handgun, opening fire on a woman. Stickney ran, warning others as he called 911.
“I got lucky today. I really did. I really, really did,” he said.
PHOTOS: FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY SHOOTING STUNS CAMPUS
The suspect’s mother, Jessica Ikner, has been an officer for over 18 years and authorities said she has done a “tremendous job” in her position.
“Her service to this community has been exceptional,” McNeil said at a press conference. “Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene. And we are continuing that investigation into how that weapon was used.”
The two people who were killed were not FSU students, according to authorities, who believe that the suspect acted alone.
FSU has canceled all classes through Friday and said athletic events in Tallahassee were canceled through the weekend.
“The university will hold a vigil for the victims at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, at Langford Green in front of the Unconquered Statue,” it said.
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University President Richard McCullough issued a statement on X, calling Thursday’s shooting “a tragic and senseless act of violence.”
ICE walks into NYC’s ‘most crime-infested neighborhoods’ — arrests over 200 illegal aliens
ICE and several federal law enforcement agencies arrested over 200 illegal aliens in an “enhanced immigration enforcement operation” in the “most crime-infested neighborhoods” in and around New York City in just one week this month.
According to a statement by ICE released on Wednesday, 206 illegal immigrants, the majority of whom have “egregious criminal histories to include manslaughter, rape, assault, drug trafficking and sex assault against minors,” were apprehended as part of the operation.
The operation took place in New York City and throughout Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley region between April 6-12.
According to the ICE statement, the agency and partners targeted “egregious criminal alien offenders,” including transnational criminal organizations like the recently designated international terrorist organizations MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as well as the violent Sureños and 18th Street gangs.
PHOTOS: GOP DELEGATION PROVIDES INSIDE LOOK AT CONTROVERSIAL EL SALVADOR PRISON HOUSING U.S. DEPORTEES
The agency said many of the arrests were made after local authorities in New York refused to honor immigration detainers filed by ICE and instead released the illegals back into the community.
Of the 206 arrested, ICE said 121 had major criminal convictions or are currently facing charges for murder, assault, arson, sex crimes, drug crimes and firearms crimes.
Among those arrested was a 58-year-old illegally present Mexican national named Adnan Paulino-Flores, whose criminal history includes arrests for sexual abuse of a person incapable of consent or physically helpless and subjecting another person to sexual contact without consent.
Another, a 51-year-old illegal from Ecuador named Jaime Gustavo Quizpi-Romero, has a criminal history that includes an arrest for assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon or instrument and strangulation, obstructing the breath and blood circulation, causing serious injury.
WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ICE, SAYS DEMS, MEDIA WANT ‘SICK’ CRIMINAL MIGRANTS LEFT ON STREETS
Another Ecuadoran illegal named Luis Olmedo Quishpi-Poalasin, 35, has an even longer criminal history, including convictions for rape, sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment, preventing testimony through fear of injury and communicating threats by phone, computer or mail.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of Edimar Alejandra Colmenares Mendoza, a 22-year-old Venezuelan illegal who is a member of the Tren de Aragua gang.
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Tren de Aragua – also known as “TdA” – is a violent criminal organization that has unleashed a spate of terror activities across the U.S. and is linked to several high-profile crimes, including the murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia and the seizure of an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado.
Charges against Colmenares Mendoza include conspiracy, larceny and possession of stolen property.
‘MARYLAND MAN’ KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA EXPOSED IN POLICE RECORDS AS ‘VIOLENT’ REPEAT WIFE BEATER
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who is running for re-election as an independent, appeared to back ICE’s arrests of criminal illegals, telling Fox News that the left is making a mistake by diverging from the sentiments of the majority of New Yorkers that illegal criminals and gang members should be taken off the streets.
“One of the big mistakes that’s being made in some parts of the far-left philosophy is that ICE is a criminal organization. They are not, they are part of our law enforcement community,” he said, adding, “We have to get bad, dangerous people off our streets.”
Judith Almodovar, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City acting field office director, commented on the arrests, saying, “The success of this enhanced operation highlights the resolve of ICE and our federal partners in keeping our country safe from violent criminal aliens.”
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Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons added that “New York is much safer today because of the hard work of ICE and our law enforcement partners.”
“Throughout this enhanced enforcement operation, we targeted the most dangerous alien offenders in some of the most crime-infested neighborhoods in and around the city of New York,” Lyons said. “ICE remains dedicated to our mission to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from communities throughout this great nation.”
Illegal aliens facing deportation beg Supreme Court to let them stay, a liberal justice steps in
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday denied an emergency appeal by four Mexican nationals facing deportation. The request asked the court to temporarily block their removal so they could file a formal petition for review.
Kagan denied the application without comment and did not refer the matter to her colleagues.
The petitioners, Fabian Lagunas Espinoza, Maria Angelica Flores Ulloa and their two sons, were ordered to report to immigration officials on Thursday. Their legal team argued they face cartel violence if returned to Mexico.
According to their court filing, the family fled Guerrero, Mexico, in 2021, after being threatened by the Los Rojos drug cartel. The petition stated that cartel members demanded the family vacate their home within 24 hours or be killed.
PHOTOS: GOP DELEGATION PROVIDES INSIDE LOOK AT CONTROVERSIAL EL SALVADOR PRISON HOUSING U.S. DEPORTEES
It also included details of past violence against extended family members, including beatings and threats following refusals to cooperate with the cartel.
The family entered the U.S. unlawfully and sought asylum and an immigration judge denied their claims.
That ruling was upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals in November 2023, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision in February 2025. A temporary stay of removal was lifted April 7.
The emergency appeal to Justice Kagan argued that the lower courts and immigration authorities failed to consider credible evidence and due process claims.
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE
Under Supreme Court procedures, each justice handles emergency appeals from a specific circuit. As the justice assigned to the Ninth Circuit, Kagan had the authority to act alone or refer the case to the full court.
She denied the application without referring to it further.
In their filing, the petitioners’ attorney, LeRoy George Siddell, wrote: “Petitioners face imminent removal and have been directed to report to immigration office on 4/17/2025, despite credible and detailed testimony and documentary evidence showing they are targets of cartel violence due to their family ties and refusal to comply with extortion demands.”
There was no response from the Department of Justice to the application before Kagan issued her decision.
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As of Thursday morning, the petitioners were required to report to U.S. immigration authorities. Their disposition remains to be determined.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump erases more of Biden’s legacy after completely changing his website
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration rolled out a revamped COVID.gov website Friday showing the “true origins” of the coronavirus, while admonishing Democrats and the media for discrediting the theory the virus leaked from a lab and alternative health treatments, and for imposing strict mandates.
“This administration prioritizes transparency over all else,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital Friday. “The American people deserve to know the truth about the Covid pandemic and we will always find ways to reach communities with that message.”
The website, which previously had focused on promoting the coronavirus vaccine to Americans, now walks readers through evidence supporting the lab leak theory, how former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promoted the idea that COVID-19 originated naturally, former President Joe Biden pardoning Fauci for “any offenses against” the U.S. he may have committed, and providing details on the origin of the “social distancing” rules and mask mandates.
LEGACY MEDIA, DC JOURNOS COME AROUND TO INVESTIGATING DEM SCANDALS YEARS AFTER CONSERVATIVES SOUNDED ALARM
“‘The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2’ publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was promoted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally,” the site states, before launching into five bullet points on the origins of the virus.
The new site outlines that a biological characteristic found in the virus was not found in nature, bolstering the lab leak theory, while noting that Wuhan, China, where the first coronavirus case was found, is also home to China’s “foremost SARs research lab” and that “if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t.”
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE CONCLUDES COVID-19 ‘MOST LIKELY’ LEAKED FROM WUHAN LAB
The Trump administration’s CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic. The Department of Energy under the Biden administration and former FBI Director Christopher Wray in 2023 also said evidence indicated the coronarius was the result of a lab leak.
CREDIBILITY CRISIS: NEW YORK TIMES HELPED MISLEAD AMERICA OVER COVID LAB LEAK THEORY
The website also walks readers through the origins of COVID-era rules, such as mask mandates and social distancing.
“The ‘6 feet apart’ social distancing recommendation — which shut down schools and small business across the country — was arbitrary and not based on science,” it states. “During closed door testimony, Dr. Fauci testified that guidance ‘sort of just appeared.”
The website says of mask mandates: “There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19. Public health officials flip-flopped on the efficacy of masks without providing Americans scientific data — causing a massive uptick in public distrust.”
The website notes that content on the page was sourced directly from the House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“Public health officials often mislead the American people through conflicting messaging, knee-jerk reactions, and a lack of transparency,” the website states under a portion called “COVID-19 misinformation.” “Most egregiously, the federal government demonized alternative treatments and disfavored narratives, such as the lab leak theory, in a shameful effort to coerce and control the American people’s health decisions.”
TRUMP MADE ME DO IT: LIBERAL MEDIA BLAMES ITS DISMISSAL OF LAB LEAK THEORY ON EX-PRESIDENT’S ‘XENOPHOBIA’
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Many media outlets dismissed Trump in 2020 when he said he had seen evidence that the virus originated in a Wuhan, China, lab, before U.S. intelligence officials such as Wray and the Department of Energy reported that the virus likely originated there.
Many outlets have since published articles showing the theory is credible, including the New York Times running a March column claiming the scientific community “badly misled” the public in an effort to suppress theory, even after the paper’s own science writer called the theory “racist.”
What’s next for Menendez brothers in killers’ courtroom battle
LOS ANGELES – Whether Erik and Lyle Menendez will see life outside prison walls is still unclear after their resentencing hearing was postponed for another month after a judge ruled that two motions needed to be settled before the process could move forward.
At the heart of the issue was Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s motion to continue citing access to a part of the comprehensive risk assessment (CRA) report that California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested for the clemency request and the Menendez team’s request for the DA to be admonished for showing crime scene photos at last week’s hearing.
Attorneys and Judge Michael Jesic will meet on May 9 to discuss next steps after the planned two-day resentencing was called off.
Court was paused for a short recess on Thursday as Jesic needed to clear up confusion and address frustrations over the CRA report.
MENENDEZ BROTHERS RESENTENCING: LOS ANGELES DA ASKS FOR DELAY BEFORE HIGH-STAKES HEARING
The report determines whether the brothers would pose a threat to the public if they were released. It was provided to prosecutors, and the judge was notified that he could read it prior to the scheduled hearing.
“The completion of the Comprehensive Risk Assessments is a significant development in this case,” Hochman said. “It’s critical that Judge Jesic has sufficient time to thoroughly examine its findings and make an informed decision on its admissibility — before any resentencing hearing moves forward.”
“A decision of this magnitude demands the most current and comprehensive information available. These updated Comprehensive Risk Assessments provide crucial insight into whether the inmates pose an unreasonable risk to public safety today,”
The judge said he wanted to move forward with witness testimony, but the brothers’ attorney, Mark Geragos, argued that unless the judge were to choose to exclude the report, he would not move forward. Geragos requested a continuance to have time to file a motion to recuse the DA, adding he would have done that already if not for a time requirement to file such a motion.
The report was not shared with the defense, which Geragos argued was unfair.
MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ FAMILY ACCUSES DA OF VIOLATING VICTIM PROTECTION LAW AFTER SHOWING GRAPHIC PHOTO IN COURT
Jesic said they received clarity from Newsom’s office that it is not asserting privilege on the comprehensive risk assessment. With those results potentially coming into play, Geragos said he will file a motion to recuse the DA from the case within 10 days.
Geragos argued that he is not a party to the clemency proceedings where the report is involved, saying, “They keep mixing and matching.”
A recusal motion requests that the individual steps away from a case because of a potential conflict of interest or bias that prevents them from operating impartially.
During the May 9 hearing, the parties will first address the motion to recuse, and then they will address whether the risk assessment will be admissible in court. Because of the personal nature of the report, some of it may be in closed court, the judge said. They will also not be conducting a resentencing hearing that day, so no testimony is expected.
MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ AUNT HOSPITALIZED AFTER DA SHARES GRAPHIC PHOTOS IN COURT: ‘THERE WAS NO WARNING’
The Menendez legal team chose not to go forward with testimony in the resentencing on Thursday.
The “retraumatization” of coming back again for testimony versus needing to retestify if the DA team is removed is “the lesser of the two evils,” said Bryan Freedman, another attorney for the brothers.
Jesic had made it clear that one of his main concerns was the time that family members took off and all the travel and other expenses made to be at this week’s hearings. The defense team said the family understood, despite some traveling to be present.
“I don’t want to keep retraumatizing the family,” Geragos said. “I’ll leave that to the DA.”
Both brothers listened closely as this played out. Erik, who looked visibly annoyed, nodded along as the judge listed what they had planned for the May 9 hearing, while Lyle was emotionless, hearing that their bid for freedom had been pushed back.
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The judge declined the Menendez team’s request for the DA to be admonished for showing the crime photos, but asked both sides to provide warning.
“It is extremely rare…where you have victims also supporting the defendants,” Jesic said. “I didn’t even think about it when the picture went up.”
“It was a gruesome murder,” he continued. “If anyone is uncomfortable, maybe they shouldn’t be here.”
Jesic also reminded the prosecution that they were not there to retry the case. Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian had argued that it was necessary to show the photos.
“We need to understand that Erik and Kyle Menendez caused that carnage,” he said.
Geragos condemned the prosecution’s tactics as a “dog and pony show,” saying, “None of these shenanigans would have happened if this wasn’t the Menendez brothers.”
“His personal bias is seething through in every action that has been taken,” Freedman said of Hochman’s intentions. Freedman added that many Menendez family members had never seen the crime scene images.
The judge then defended Balian, saying he had known him for years and believed there was no ill intent in showing the photos, though he admitted the situation was complex.
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Balian also apologized for sharing the images, saying that “it was never my intention” and that he was sorry someone ended up in a hospital after seeing the images.
The brothers’ attorneys and family held a news conference following the conclusion of Thursday’s paused hearing.
“The family does not want to go through this charade anymore with the DA,” Geragos said. “This is a DA who made up his mind and did no hard work in terms of his position. He is vindicating no one’s interest.”
Tamara Goodall, a cousin of Erik and Lyle, also spoke to the media and her disappointment with Thursday’s outcome.
“It was very clear that Hochman has no desire to come at this objectively. He made the statement, and I quote, referring to all of the quote unquote horrible people that Mark represents. That does not tell me that this person has any ability to see Erik and Lyle through any other lens,” Goodall said.
“Unfortunately, for this family, there are no secrets. For this family, there’s no floor on the amount of trauma that they have to go through,” Geragos said.
When asked how Lyle and Erik were taking the news, Geragos said that they were “cautiously optimistic.”
WATCH ON FOX NATION: MENENDEZ BROTHERS: VICTIMS OR VILLAINS?
“There are a lot of reasons to believe that when we do the re-sentencing hearing, that we will get Judge Jesic to reduce this to a manslaughter and release them on time served,” Geragos explained. “That’s what the goal is here. The goal is not, as I stated in court, to get a 50-to-life and to convert this into a parole hearing. The goal here is very simple.”
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Hochman’s office said they “are aware of the defense’s concerns and welcome the opportunity to address them in court.”
“Our office remains committed to ethical and impartial prosecution. We believe the facts will demonstrate that our conduct has been professional, appropriate, and in the interest of justice,” Hochman said.
He also thanked his team of prosecutors — Balian and Deputy District Attorneys Seth Carmack and Ethan Milius — for their “unwavering commitment to ensuring that the Court is presented with the full picture.”
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“They have shown extraordinary dedication and professionalism throughout this process, and their work continues to honor the memory of Jose and Kitty Menendez,” Hochman said.
Hochman previously criticized the brothers’ decision to “stubbornly remain hunkered down in their over 30-year-old bunker of lies, deceit and denials.”
The Menendez brothers and their supporters have been pushing for a resentencing hearing, saying the brothers had been unfairly convicted to life in prison in 1996 for murdering their two parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.
Their first trial ended in a mistrial, when jurors couldn’t agree on their fate. After a second trial in the mid-1990s, in which some of their evidence about the alleged sexual abuse was excluded, jurors agreed with prosecutors that their motive had been greed.