SURE, IT’S EASY TO SAY YOU feel sorry for Erik Menendez, whose trial for the shotgun killing of his parents ended in a hung jury last January. But if you really want him to go free after his retrial later this year, you can now do something about it, thanks to the ingenuity of his lawyer, Leslie Abramson. With Erik and his codefendant brother, Lyle, claiming poverty, and with the court refusing to pay her $100-an-hour fee out of state funds, Abramson has turned to the public. Fundraising letters have gone out to several thousand of Erik’s supporters, seeking contributions to the Erik G. Menendez Legal Defense Fund, which Abramson runs out of her own offices.
Sure, if Erik and Lyle had spent less on sports cars and tennis lessons after killing their parents, they’d have more left now. But remember: they never expected to be caught And even after months spent detailing Erik’s lurid tales of sexual abuse by his father, “our fight is not over,” Abramson writes. Having already billed at least $650,000, she says she’ll need more than $1 million for the retrial and the fight against the media, “which continues to try and poison the minds of prospective jurors.” Otherwise, Erik’s fate will wind up in the hands of a public defender. So he’s counting on you. Don’t let Erik down. Remember: he’s an orphan.
