Legal

Erik Menendez's daughter Talia is refusing to call the brothers' respective parole denials a loss ... issuing a passionate defense online following Lyle Menendez's rejected bid for freedom.

Talia, who is Erik's stepdaughter from his marriage to Tammi Menendez, took to her Instagram Stories Saturday morning ... in which she expressed her disappointment about the latest parole ruling -- but made it clear she refuses to give up hope.

She wrote ... "People can have different views of this being a win or not ... When you have been let down time and time again ... The highest your hopes have ever been ... Watching your family get older and older."

Bryan Kohberger wasn't a charmer to most women he came into contact with ... but one woman was so captivated by the killer she put him on a Christmas card list days after he slaughtered 4 University of Idaho students, TMZ has learned.

According to new police docs, obtained by TMZ ... Kohberger walked inside a car shop in Pullman, Washington, on November 18, 2022 -- five days after he fatally stabbed Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle as they slept inside their house in the town of Moscow nearby.

At the shop, Kohberger wanted to change the title and registration on his Hyundai Elantra from his home state of Pennsylvania to Washington, where he attended Washington State University as a PhD student, cops said.

Lyle Menendez got the same treatment from the parole board as his brother Erik ... his bid for freedom was just denied for 3 years!

The California Board of Parole handed down its decision Friday after Lyle answered hours of personal questions from various parole commissioners and a ton of his family members spoke on his behalf.

This isn't the end for Lyle, though -- he’ll be considered for an administrative review within a year, and he could be moved up to a hearing as soon as 18 months.

Bryan Kohberger left a trail of 4 bodies in the wake of his grisly murder spree ... and TMZ has now obtained new photos of the eerie crime scene.

Idaho State Police released a mountain of photos taken by investigators inside and outside the murder house in Moscow, ID, where Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were butchered by Kohberger with a k-bar knife. Besides Chapin, the rest of the victims lived inside the house, but all 4 attended the University of Idaho.

In the crime scene photos, you see footprints outside the home, handprints on windows, bloody trash, and a rogue knife on a beer pong table.

Lionel Richie almost said "hello" to an unexpected guest Friday morning ... we've learned his Beverly Hills home was burglarized by a suspected thief.

Beverly Hills Police Department tells TMZ ... officers received a radio call regarding a residential burglary just after midnight in the 90210 neighborhood, where the famed singer-songwriter owns a property.

Cops ended up arresting a man named Michael John Bond on suspicion of residential burglary ... but the District Attorney has yet to formally file a charge.

Suge Knight knows A LOT about what went on behind prison walls with Erik Menendez -- the things that got the Parole Board to turn thumbs down -- and he thinks the decision is BS.

The Death Row Records founder -- who is locked up in San Diego's RJ Donovan Correctional Facility alongside the Menendez bros -- told "TMZ Live" Friday the game’s rigged ... inmates are set up to fail, so it’s no shock they shredded Erik over his past infractions.

While Erik got dragged for sneaking a phone, making calls, hustling drugs, and even dabbling in tax fraud ... Suge told us what really stings is how none of Erik’s positive rehabilitative efforts got a proper shout-out.

Lil Nas X is still behind bars after his arrest early Thursday morning ... and now we know he's not getting out until at least Monday.

Authorities tell TMZ ... since the "Old Town Road" singer was arrested on suspicion of battery on a police officer, he needs to go before a judge to have his bail set ... and that ain't going to happen until Monday. Seems there are plenty of others in front of him also looking to bail out ... and Nas ain't cuttin' the line.

We're told this particular charge is an automatic appearance ... and he can't be issued a citation and released, like most misdemeanors ... 'cause "cited out" only applies to nonviolent offenses -- and Nas allegedly charged at police.

The man cops say went viral for knocking out a woman during a Rüfüs Du Sol concert is getting the book thrown at him -- he's been arrested on felony charges, TMZ has learned.

Pasadena PD tells TMZ ... Julio Cesar Lopez Zavala was arrested Thursday and booked for felony battery with great bodily injury, felony assault with great bodily injury and misdemeanor battery ... all for the vicious brawl that went down last week at the Rose Bowl concert.

You'll recall, a man -- who cops say is Zavala -- was recorded beating a woman unconscious on August 16 ... as Rüfüs Du Sol had everyone else in the stadium enjoying the beat.

The shocking aftermath of Bryan Kohberger's slaughter of 4 University of Idaho and its horrible impact can now be seen by the world on newly released police bodycam footage -- and the video is just gut-wrenching.

Check it out ... it opens with one of the roommates in tears as she recalls seeing Kohberger donning a black mask while passing by her -- and even looking at her -- after he fatally stabbed Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

The surviving roommate details seeing Kaylee -- moments before she was killed --  sprint downstairs while screaming there was an intruder inside the house. The roommate tells cops she heard the intruder tell Kaylee in a strange tone ... "You’re going to be okay. I’m going to help you."

Steve Smith is clearly trying his best to remain in good spirits as he faces a lawsuit for allegedly ruining a marriage earlier this year ... appearing to crack a joke about the situation while live on an NFL broadcast Thursday night.

The two-time All-Pro wideout was providing color commentary during the Panthers vs. Steelers game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte ... when one of his boothmates started reading off a promo for Bojangles.

The ad ensured Panthers backers would get a free chicken sandwich if they scanned a QR code on their screens ... and when the convo turned to if Smith would add a few more food items to fans' bags on his dime, he seemed to reference how he's currently battling a civil case in the North Carolina court system.

The attorney representing Jaylen Brown's father, Marselles Brown, said in a courtroom minutes ago his client was acting in self-defense during that violent parking lot dispute in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

The lawyer, Arnold Weinstock, told News3LV Marselles only got physical with Cross Tupuola after the youth football coach had pistol-whipped him.

"Everything I know," the attorney said, "and I've known Mr. Brown for quite some time, I do not believe that he initiated anything, and he is telling me that everything that occurred was him trying to defend himself after he was struck."

Erik Menendez's stepdaughter Talia is speaking out amid his marathon parole hearing Thursday in California.

Talia -- who's the daughter of Erik's wife Tammi -- hopped on Instagram this afternoon to tell fans she has no update yet other than to say she's "just as anxious" as everyone else about the hearing's outcome. As you know, Erik and his brother Lyle were convicted decades ago for the shotgun murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez.

Talia is a huge advocate for Erik and Lyle and constantly writes in support of them on her Instagram account. In July, she posted about Erik's kidney stones, saying he was recovering from a 2nd surgery related to his health issue.

Hernandez Govan, the man accused of helping facilitate Young Dolph's November 2021 murder -- was just found not guilty in court!!!

On Thursday, a jury reached a verdict nearly four years after the superstar rapper was gunned down in his Memphis hometown, finding Govan not guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

We also obtained the court docs dismissing Govan from the case.

The trial included testimonies from multiple law enforcement agency witnesses as prosecutors attempted to prove text messages showed Govan orchestrated the murder, although he did not actually fire the deadly shots.

Donald Trump has nabbed a major legal victory in his "yuge" civil fraud case ... a New York appeals court has just thrown out a half-billion dollar judgment against the president.

On Thursday, the New York appeals court announced the ruling with 5 judges voting to do away with the massive judgment -- which was $355 million plus interest! In short, Trump stood to lose over $500 million ... and large parts of his business empire, but not anymore.

Why? Because the appeals court deemed the fine "excessive" ... with some of the judges noting it could've violated DT's Eighth Amendment rights -- which protects citizens from excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

Federal prosecutors are calling BS on Diddy's attempt to throw out his conviction on Mann Act charges in his criminal case.

Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York filed new legal docs Wednesday, torching Diddy's motion to get his conviction on 2 counts of the Mann Act overturned or, if not, getting a new trial.  As you know, the Mann Act prohibits the transportation of individuals across state lines for the purposes of prostitution.

Diddy's lawyers previously pointed out he made ZERO dollars off prostitution and insist the Mann Act is usually designed for going after people running sex rings.

They also say Diddy never had sex with the male sex workers, and never directly arranged for their transportation, claiming he was merely a voyeur who enjoyed recording his ex-girlfriends having sex.

Judge Frank Caprio -- who went viral for making compassionate decisions in his courtroom -- has died ... according to his official social media page.

A death announcement photo of the judge was shared to Instagram Wednesday afternoon ... revealing the judge died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The caption reads ... "Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond. His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him."