Los Angeles, California – Two veteran Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed lawsuits against newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman, alleging they were demoted in retaliation for supporting the resentencing of convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez.
Prosecutors Nancy Theberge and Brock Lunsford claim Hochman punished them for backing a motion to reduce the Menendez brothers’ sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life — a recommendation initiated under former District Attorney George Gascón. Gascón, who lost reelection to Hochman last November, had supported the resentencing in line with a broader push for criminal justice reform. Hochman reversed that decision after taking office in December.
The lawsuits, filed Monday, accuse Hochman and senior leadership in the District Attorney’s Office of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Theberge further alleges age and gender discrimination, while Lunsford claims he was defamed and publicly called “incompetent” and a “quilsing,” a term referring to a Nazi collaborator.
“Nancy and Brock followed the law and paid for it with their careers,” said Justin Shegerian, the attorney representing both prosecutors. “Their resentencing motion was grounded in fact, supported by the law, and filed with integrity. They are moving forward with this suit, at great personal risk, because they hope to protect others from a dangerous District Attorney’s office that believes it’s above the law.”
According to the lawsuits, Theberge and Lunsford were both demoted shortly after Hochman’s swearing-in. Theberge, who previously led the office’s resentencing unit, was reassigned out of the District Attorney’s Office altogether. Lunsford, who had worked under her, was moved to a non-supervisory role in a remote branch office. The lawsuits claim their careers and reputations have been seriously damaged as a result.
Each prosecutor is seeking $5.25 million in damages for economic and psychological harm.
The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 for the 1989 murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home — a case that has drawn renewed public interest in recent years. Under Gascón, their case was reviewed as part of a broader resentencing initiative. Hochman, however, has taken a more traditional approach to criminal sentencing since taking office.
Hochman’s office has not responded to requests for comment.
