Menendez Brothers: Members of public can participate in lottery to obtain seat in courtroom

Menendez Brothers hearing to be open to the public

The Menendez Brothers are scheduled to have a hearing next week. Some of those seats will be available to the public through the lottery.

LOS ANGELES - Lyle and Erik Menendez are set to appear in court for a status hearing Monday, and the public is invited to attend. However, getting a seat might be difficult.

The court is holding a public lottery which will allow 16 members of the public to obtain a seat in the courtroom.

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The hearing is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25 at 10:30 a.m. in Department S on the ninth floor of Van Nuys Courthouse West at 14400 Erwin St. in Van Nuys.

The court will conduct a public lottery for 16 public seats in the courtroom between 9 to 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 25 in front of Van Nuys Courthouse West.

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Lottery tickets will be distributed from 8 to 9 a.m. The lottery will begin at 9:30 a.m. Winners will be issued badges which must be worn at all times in the courthouse. The badge is valid only for that date.

The winning tickets are non-transferrable. Two additional standby seat tickets will be drawn, however, standby tickets do not guarantee a seat in the courtroom, court officials said in a statement,

Proceedings are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Seat holders must be on time for the start of the hearing, or they could potentially risk losing their seat.

Court rules

• No photography, video or recording is allowed in any courtroom or courthouse hallway or lobby at any time, including the use of cellphone to capture pictures, video and audio recordings.

• Cellphones must be off and kept out of sight. Seat holders will be required to put their cellphones in a locked pouch provided by the Court prior to entry to the department.

• There is no eating, drinking or chewing gum allowed in the courtroom.

• Members of the public are also instructed to follow the Court's General Order 2023-GEN-005-00 on Expressive Activity which restricts demonstrations, distributions, solicitation and other expressive forms of activity both inside courthouses and near courthouse entrances.