Who is Leslie Abramson? Facts about the lawyer in the Menendez Brothers case – Hollywood Life

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Lyle And Eric Menendez are still serving life sentences for the brutal murder of their parents on August 20, 1989, when the brothers – then 21 and 18 – shot them to death in their family mansion in Beverly Hills.

Here you can find out everything you need to know about Abramson.

Abramson was the defense attorney for Erik Menendez

Abramson took on Erik's case about six months after his parents were murdered. Jose And Kitty MenendezShe defended Erik, then 21, during his murder trial, which began in 1993.

“I have been representing people accused of murder for 27 years, and these guys just don't measure up to anyone I have ever represented,” she told the WashingtonPost“These are not murderers. These are problem children in a very difficult and grotesque home environment, and they've gone crazy.”

A passionate and passionate advocate, the now 80-year-old managed to convince the jury to find Erik not guilty of first-degree murder, even though he had confessed to killing both of his parents in 1989 along with his brother Lyle. This resulted in a mistrial and the case was brought back to trial in 1996. Although she fought tirelessly against the charges, both Erik and Lyle were ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, she managed to save Erik from the death penalty.

The WashingtonPost didn't hold back in 1996 when he wrote about the dogged lawyer, describing her as a “fire-eating, mud-slinging, nuclear-powered pain in the ass” and noting her “frizzy, yellow mess” of hair. Although she is only 5 feet tall, she captivated courtroom TV viewers during the trial with her “classic, visceral outburst and rage.”

Abramson almost lost her driver's license after the Menendez case

Abramson was questioned by the State Bar after it was revealed during the trial that she had asked Erik’s psychiatrist Dr. William Vicaryto delete material from his notes that they believed was confidential. In February 1999, the California State Bar closed its investigation into Abramson due to insufficient evidence and she was found not guilty.

Abramson has been named Trial Lawyer of the Year twice

Abramson passed the bar exam in 1970 after earning her law degree from UCLA. Her first job was with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, where she earned a reputation as a tough fighter for her clients. That reputation twice earned her the LA Criminal Courts Bar Association's Trial Lawyer of the Year award.

Abramson published a memoir

Abramson's memoirs are available on Amazon. The defense is ready: Life in the trenches of criminal lawwas published in 1997. New York Times called it “a fascinating and stirring chronicle of her most notorious murder trials,” in which she detailed her experiences with several notorious clients.