The family of Kitty and José Menendez filed a formal complaint and motion to urge the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to comply with Marsy’s Law after the DA unexpectedly displayed graphic crime scene photos during an April 11 court hearing.
The California Victims’ Bill of Rights Act, colloquially known as Marsy’s Law, states that victims of crimes must be treated with “fairness and respect for his or her privacy and dignity, and to be free from intimidation, harassment, and abuse, throughout the criminal or juvenile justice process,” according to the Department of Justice. The family argues that the photos used by the DA unearthed trauma and led to the hospitalization of José Menendez’s sister, Terry Baralt, who “experienced such severe emotional distress” upon seeing the images.
“We never imagined we would have to fight to be treated with respect and dignity,” the Menendez family wrote in a statement. “But last Friday, our entire family was once again blindsided. Without warning, the District Attorney’s Office displayed gruesome, graphic photos of our loved ones’ bodies. No heads-up, no compassion, no humanity. Our entire family was re-traumatized first by the graphic display and again, when Terry was hospitalized shortly after. She remains in the ICU today.”
The motion states the photos were “gratuitous and needlessly displayed,” and that the DA had no purpose to use them in court other than to “inflame emotions to achieve maximum ‘shock’ value.” Through the complaint, the family requests the court to reprimand the DA’s office and require advance notice of any further displays in future hearings.
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