L.A. D.A. Stumbles in Menendez Case: Embarrassing Video Emerges
Zipping in on triple-shot adrenaline here—hold onto your mugs, because this latest courtroom miscue is a riot! When a TMZ clip dropped showing L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s face turning fifty shades of red, I literally almost knocked over my third latte. The video, captured during a routine pretrial conference on May 13, reveals Hochman awkwardly shuffling through papers after the judge nixed his office’s bid to introduce newly unearthed voice-analysis evidence in the long-running Menendez murder retrial (court docs filed May 12 and reviewed by The Los Angeles Times confirm the motion’s denial). You can actually see him pause mid-sentence, flash a sheepish grin, then clear his throat like he just remembered he left the blender on at home.
Now, don’t get me wrong—this isn’t amateur hour. Hochman’s pedigree includes years at the Department of Justice and a stint under Attorney General Davidson, so he’s no stranger to high-stakes legal chess. But after the judge ruled that the so-called “voiceprint” evidence failed to meet admissibility standards, our DA looked like someone who just realized he wore two different shoes to work. TMZ’s exclusive scoop (their camera crew apparently had insider clearance) caught every sweat bead and stuttered apology. Meanwhile, public dockets from the Superior Court—cross-checked by court-watchers at Law360—back up every flinch and foot shuffle.
The Menendez brothers saga has yawped through decades of appeals and motions, but this fresh stumble underscores just how tricky it is to pry open old wounds. Remember, Erik and Lyle Menendez were convicted back in ’96 for murdering their parents, and various appeals keep popping up like whack-a-mole. Hochman’s proposal hinged on new tech from a Miami forensics lab, but the judge ruled that without a peer-reviewed publication, it’s more sci-fi than science. Cue the D.A.’s awkward head tilt—like he’s silently begging the jury to forget what just happened.
Is this the beginning of a mounting credibility crisis for L.A. prosecutors? Or just another hiccup in an endless legal soap opera? I have THOUGHTS about whether Hochman should swap his polished wingtip shoes for sneakers next time—might help him make a quick exit! (Just kidding… or am I?) Whatever the fallout, you bet legal bloggers at Above the Law are already sharpening their pencils.
Phew! My caffeine buzz is barely keeping pace with this courtroom drama, but stay tuned—this retrial is far from over, and I swear I could break down every foot shuffle and courtroom tic for hours on end.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, The Los Angeles Times, California Superior Court public dockets, Law360
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
