A Los Angeles judge has commuted the sentences of Eric and Lyle Menendez, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents in a Beverly Hills mansion, making them eligible for parole.
Judge Michael Jesic sentenced the brothers to 50 years to life in prison.
The decision on their potential release must be made by the state parole board, which will hold a hearing in June.
The district attorney strongly opposed the reduction of the sentence, saying the brothers had not been rehabilitated.
The brothers claimed they killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in self-defense because they had been sexually abused for years.
The case, which inspired various books and was made into a Netflix series, continues to divide the American public.
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After the judge granted the objection on May 13, the brothers gave an emotional statement to the court.
They spoke about the dark details of the brutal murder and the decision to load shotguns and shoot their parents at point-blank range in the living room of their home.
The brothers were 18 and 21 years old at the time.
"I had to stop being selfish and immature to truly understand what my parents went through in those final moments," Erik Menendez, now 54, told the court.
He described the "shock, confusion and betrayal" of parents as they watched their sons hold guns pointed at them and open fire.
Both said they were remorseful and hoped to work with victims of sexual abuse and help prisoners if given a second chance - in freedom.
As he spoke about their "unimaginable" actions against his parents, Lyle Menendez, now 57, was left speechless.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the decision to reopen the case against the two was "monumental" and had "significant implications" for the family.
Much of the hearing focused on what the brothers had been doing in prison for the past 30 years.
Family members and those who worked with them in prison detailed the educational courses they had completed and the programs they had designed to improve the lives of prisoners, such as a hospice initiative for the elderly and sick.
Judge Ješić called the brothers' work in prison "extraordinary," but noted that their 1996 sentences of life imprisonment without parole were justified at the time.
He said that, under the guidelines, they were eligible for re-sentencing, giving them a new sentence of 50 years to life in prison.
The brothers have been in prison since 1990.
'Divan and'
As the judge read, the brothers smiled and waved to their lawyers and family members gathered in the courtroom.
Family members hugged each other, smiling.
"Today is a wonderful day," defense attorney Mark Geragos told reporters outside the courthouse.
We are now "a huge step closer to bringing the boys home," he added.
Annamaria Baralt, a cousin of the brothers who testified earlier that day, said their family was thrilled.
"This is a painful process," she said of the parole hearing, but noted that she would "be happy to go through it if it means their return home."
During the hearing, some of their relatives asked the judge to allow the brothers to be released.
Baralt, who said she had been close to them since childhood, told the judge they deserved "a second chance at life."
"This has been a nightmare. I desperately want this process to end," she said.
She said in court that she often visits the Menendez brothers in prison and talks to them, and can testify that they have taken "responsibility for their own actions."
She also said that Lyle Menendez admitted to her that he asked the witness to lie when he testified at their original trial.
"They are far different people now than the boys they were."
The judge also heard from a retired Florida judge, who said he had never testified on behalf of any criminal defendant, as well as Aneraj. X-Raided Brown, the rapper who was in prison with both of his brothers and thanked them for his release.
The district attorney's office, which strongly opposes the brothers' release, questioned every witness about the "series of lies" Eric and Lyle Menendez told about the murders.
Prosecutors said the brothers lied to law enforcement immediately after the crime, as well as to family members about their own guilt, and that they gave false testimony at the trials.
They also say that the brothers continued to "make excuses" for their behavior instead of taking full responsibility.
"There's no doubt that prison has changed them and that they've done some positive things," Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian said in closing arguments.
But, he added, when overturning a unanimous jury verdict in such a brutal murder case, it is important to "ensure that they are truly rehabilitated."
The case has come back into the spotlight after a new drama on Netflix Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Menendez, as well as the release of a documentary drama The Menendez Brothers.
Thanks to the series and documentary, newer generations learned about the Menendez brothers' case and it attracted the attention of celebrities, including reality stars Kim Kardashian and Rosie O'Donnell, who called for the brothers' release.
The previous district attorney, George Gascon, supported their request for resentencing, allowing the motion to be presented to the judge.
What next?
The next stop for the brothers will be the California Parole Board.
The board had already been vetting the brothers after a request from Governor Gavin Newsom.
The governor is specifically considering the brothers' request for clemency, which could take the form of a reduction in sentence or release, or pardon - if previously approved by the Parole Board.
Newsom has asked the parole board to conduct a risk assessment, which has already been completed, examining whether they pose a risk to the public if released.
The state parole board is scheduled to hold a special hearing on June 13.
It is unclear what might happen at the hearing, nor whether there could be more hearings to review their potential release.
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